Paola church gets ground-floor café after tribunal ruling

The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) has overturned the Planning Authority’s refusal of plans for an interpretation centre and cafeteria at the Christ the King Basilica in Paola, ordering the authority to issue the permit within 30 days.

In a decision delivered on 23 July, the tribunal upheld an appeal filed by parish priest Fr Marc André Camilleri against the refusal of application PA2260/24, concluding that the Planning Authority’s concerns over the project’s impact on the historic church were not justified.

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The project involves converting the basilica’s two belfry towers into a multi-level interpretation centre, with exhibition spaces spread across six levels and an observation deck at roof level. The proposal also includes the demolition of three existing garages along Church Street to make way for a ground-floor cafeteria and souvenir shop.

The Planning Commission had refused the application in January, arguing that the proposed cafeteria would alter the external appearance of what it considered a Grade 1 scheduled building, disrupting the basilica’s symmetry and harming its architectural character within an Urban Conservation Area.

However, the tribunal found that the refusal was based on a factual error, noting that while the Christ the King Basilica is undoubtedly a building of significant historical value, it is not classified as a Grade 1 scheduled building.

The tribunal concluded that the proposed cafeteria would improve the visual quality of the site, since it would replace three existing garages which it described as having limited architectural value. It also noted that the new structure would be freestanding and would not involve alterations to the basilica itself.

The EPRT gave significant weight to the position adopted by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH), which had supported the revised plans following discussions with the Curia’s heritage commission. The SCH had favoured a masonry design for the cafeteria, considering it more compatible with the basilica’s neoclassical style than an earlier glass proposal.

The appeal had also argued that the Planning Authority had effectively changed its position after the project had already secured technical clearances from the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability and the Malta Tourism Authority, raising new concerns only at a later stage.

The project has undergone significant changes since it was first proposed. Earlier plans envisaged a cafeteria placed on the basilica’s rooftop between the two belfries, with outdoor tables overlooking the surrounding area. The proposal triggered public criticism, with Prime Minister Robert Abela describing the rooftop cafeteria as a “non-starter”.

Following discussions, the plans were revised to remove the rooftop catering facility and relocate it to ground level. In July 2024, the government committed €400,000 towards the restoration of the basilica, with the relocation of the cafeteria forming part of the agreement.

The revised plans retained only an observation deck between the belfries, while introducing the interpretation centre within the towers. Fr Camilleri had described the concept as a “vertical museum”, with visitors moving through six stacked rooms containing exhibitions on the history of the basilica.

The ground-floor cafeteria, proposed over a footprint of 178 square metres and a height of 3.6 metres, was designed as a separate structure replacing the existing garages along Church Street.

Despite the revisions, the Planning Commission maintained that the project remained incompatible with conservation objectives and refused the permit.

The tribunal has now overturned that decision, allowing the parish’s plans for the adaptive reuse of one of Paola’s most prominent landmarks to proceed.