DIY store on additional two new floors proposed on Centerparc

A two-storey addition to the Centerparc shopping complex consisting of a Do It Yourself (DIY) centre, is being recommended for approval by a case officer.

A final decision by the Planning Authority is expected on 2 November.

The original project had been approved in 2018 on condition that the roof of the building below Qormi Road is allocated for soft landscaping.

According to the report recommending approval, the proposed development will blend with the existing and upcoming commercial context of the area.

The developer is proposing the installation of 821 PV panels on the roof of the extension.

The project will still include 2,972m² of soft landscaping throughout the whole building split on three levels; 618m² in Level 1, 956m² in Level 2 and 1,389m² in Level 3.

The new addition will see the mall rising by up to 14m over Triq Hal Qormi, 2.6m more than envisaged in local plan policies.

This deviation is deemed acceptable because in other areas the building will be lower than the 11.4m limit and no development is being proposed over an extensive area.

The area, which formerly consisted of an agricultural field, was designated for soft landscaping and underlying warehouses in the local plan approved in 2006. In 2013, the area was rezoned again for the development of an elderly home and landscaped public spaces, and then rezoned once again for retail development in 2017. In 2019 the local plan was changed again in 2019 to allow the new additional development of up to 11.4m above road level.

The Centreparc mall is owned by Tum Invest and V&C Developments.