New guest house proposed in Depiro Street’s ‘parapets’ area

A planning application is proposing a guest house in Triq Depiro, Sliema, next to a site where a residential development permit allowing higher buildings was previously approved.

Known as the ‘parapets’ area of Depiro Street, which runs from Sliema’s Dingli Street down to Manuel Dimech Street, the houses are characterised by staircases leading to raised parapet entrances.

The latest application involves townhouses 104 and 105 and proposes a five-floor, 29-room guest house while retaining the traditional façades, including the parapets, along Triq Depiro.

The plans foresee extending the façade by one floor, replicating the existing design, and constructing garages at basement and plinth levels. Guest house rooms would be located on levels one to four, with a receded fifth floor.

The application also includes the garden area at the rear, most of which would be retained.

The proposal is immediately next to townhouses 93 to 103, where a residential development was approved by the Planning Authority in 2020.

That permit, which remains valid until 2028 and has yet to be implemented, allows for the demolition of the existing dwellings and their replacement with a residential block. The approved project provides for the retention of the traditional façades and their extension by another floor replicating the existing design. Garages are planned at basement and plinth levels, with apartments on the first, second, third and fourth floors and a receded level.

Plans indicate that the proposed guest house would broadly follow the height approved for the neighbouring residential development.

The 2019 residential application was originally submitted by John Bonavia and was subsequently associated with Marion Developments Ltd, represented by Thomas Mifsud. The new guest house application was submitted by Carlo Mifsud’s company, 137D&M Ltd.

The proposal comes amid continued pressure to convert residential properties in Sliema into tourist accommodation, as developers seek to tap into the town’s established tourism market.

Guest houses classified as Class 3A are generally permissible in designated residential areas under the regional Local Plans, while larger hotels classified as Class 3B are not permitted in residential zones.

New rules for guest houses came into force in June and limit new developments to 20 rooms. However, the current application was submitted in May, before the new limit came into effect.