No consultation as yet over Marsaxlokk football club’s home for the elderly

The Marsaxlokk football club wants to develop an old people’s home, along with a hostel, next to an upgraded football pitch, all located outside development zone in an area that is presently used as a garden and a car park.

But while a Planning Authority case officer report has recommended approval, the report makes no reference to any feedback from the Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA), which is normally consulted on applications for old people’s home.

The Planning Authority which is currently reviewing the case officer report has not answered when asked when exactly the SCSA was consulted and why its feedback was not included in the case officer report recommending approval. And when contacted by MaltaToday, a spokesperson for the SCSA simply replied that “the Social Care Standards Authority is in contact with the Planning Authority regarding this application”.

The SCSA’s performance indicators oblige service providers to “promote a reduced noise environment within both communal and private areas” of old people’s homes while stipulating that the design of such buildings should promote a “calm experience” with indoor lighting that should be “domestic” in character.

“You can imagine the light pollution from flood-lights and the noise from the game itself and from supporters,” one resident objecting to the development told MaltaToday.

But the Social Care Standards Authority would not be drawn into commenting on whether the application conforms to these indicators limiting itself to saying that it is in communicating  directly with the Planning Authority on the merits of this application.

The old people’s home will be situated across the road from a boatyard where maintenance work, including painting and spraying, is performed on large fishing boats. And it will also have windows overlooking the revamped Marsaxlokk football ground.

The planning application by Marsaxlokk FC seeks to turn the site of 13,225 square metres, which is outside the development zone, into a 188-bed hostel and 255-room old people’s home. Photomontages indicate that the complex will be an urban sprawl of a building and will include a childcare centre, a social club, food and drink establishments and a physiotherapy clinic.

The case officer report currently under review concluded that the proposed facilities on the site are an “acceptable improvement” to the current situation so the PA’s planning directorate is recommending it for approval. The Planning Authority Board was scheduled to discuss the application in December following the favorable recommendation of the case officer. But the item was removed from the board’s agenda because the recommendation by the case officer is currently being reviewed.  The feedback of the SCSA could therefore be included in a revised case officer report which should be published before a final decision is taken.