Five terraced houses proposed in L-Andrijiet rural hamlet

Five terraced houses are being proposed on a 771sq.m plot of land in the rural hamlet of L-Andrijiet in Bahrija, Rabat.

The land in question is adjacent to an existing dwelling and presently consists of a private garden enclosed by a rubble wall and which hosts within it several mature trees.

The application foresees the uprooting of several trees and the destruction of rubble walls, which are an intrinsic part of the character of the area.

Although outside the development zone, the area is designated as a Category 2 settlement, a designation for existing rural hamlets, where new dwellings on uncommitted land with a footprint of 150sq.m and a  floor space of 200sq.m are allowed.

The local plan limits development to infill sites, corner sites and sites which form the end of a row of three dwellings.

But the local plan clearly excludes development on sites, which contain mature trees and which contribute to the character of the settlement.

The local plan also states that any new development should not have a negative impact on the  character of the settlement and its surrounding rural environment.

The development is being proposed by Benji Psaila who declared owning the site in question. The application was presented as an outline one, a planning mechanism which sets the building parameters for the development of a site before a full planning application is presented.

Although the local plan refers to the development of single units, the PA has recently approved 13 villas in a similarly designated hamlet in Maghtab in the vicinity of the old Santa Marija chapel interpreting the 150sq.m policy limit as applying to each unit rather than the whole cluster.