How PA changed the rules for a protected Paceville townhouse

A controversial proposal to convert a Grade 2 scheduled townhouse in Paceville into a 17-room guesthouse on five floors is returning before the Planning Authority next week.

The planning process saw the original application suspended while new parameters were established for an entire streetscape.

The application presented by Priscilla Calleja concerns the property at 55, Triq il-Wilga, one of a row of nine Grade 2 scheduled townhouses stretching towards Triq Paceville.

When first assessed in 2017, planning officials recommended refusing Calleja’s proposal, which involved demolishing the existing townhouse while retaining its façade and constructing a five-storey guesthouse with a recessed top floor.

The protected, traditional row of listed townhouses on Wilga Street was built between the 1920s and 1930s. They were part of the initial residential expansion spearheaded by Maltese lawyer and developer Giuseppe Pace, who constructed these early seaside properties to rent out to British military servicemen stationed at nearby barracks.

Back in 2017, the case officer concluded that the proposal was “not considered to be in harmony with its immediate context”, warning that it would undermine the architectural unity of the scheduled row and create two prominent blank party walls.

The report also referred to objections from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, which warned that the project would have “a negative and unacceptable impact” on both the protected building and the surrounding streetscape.

However, instead of determining the application, the Planning Board opted for a different approach during its meeting of 11 January 2018.

The minutes state: “Without prejudice it was suggested that an outline application is submitted on the whole stretch of scheduled properties to determine the building height and external appearance. Such an application will also ensure that all interested parties are informed.”

The minutes recorded PA Executive Chair Johann Buttigieg saying the outline application would cover an area well beyond the applicant’s property and will act as a masterplan for the whole area. The minutes noted that the authority would consider waiving the fees for the application.

Following that meeting, Calleja requested that the original application be suspended to allow time for the preparation of the wider outline proposal.

Changing goalposts

The outline application, covering the full row of nine scheduled houses, was eventually submitted by Priscilla Calleja on behalf of all the owners, in 2021 and approved in January 2024, despite one dissenting vote.

The approval established the principle that additional floors could be introduced across the row through a coordinated architectural approach, while leaving detailed matters—façades, setbacks, design details, internal layouts and specific uses—to be assessed through subsequent full development applications.

Following the approval of that outline permit, the original guesthouse application was reactivated and is now scheduled for determination by the Planning Board on 23 July.

In an updated assessment, planning officials state that the original concerns regarding height and the relationship with the streetscape have effectively been overtaken by the approved outline framework.

The report notes that revised plans now reflect the outline approval, although clearance from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage is still required before any approval is issued to ensure the final design remains compatible with the surrounding scheduled buildings.

The proposed guesthouse would contain 17 bedrooms and include an ancillary catering establishment. Since no parking spaces are being provided on site, the applicant would pay a commuted parking contribution of €8,385.