62 flats with 'blue steel trees' set for approval in Fgura

An undeveloped piece of land in Fgura, located opposite the local council offices and previously occupied by an old farmhouse, is set to house 62 residential units.

The project, in the heart of Fgura, is being proposed by the Vassallo Group.

The farmhouse had been legally demolished in 2021.

The development will comprise two underground levels housing 92 garages, a ground-floor retail outlet, 48 apartments across three overlying levels, and 14 penthouses.

The Planning Authority is expected to decide on the application on 4 June, but the project is already being recommended for approval by the case officer, who praised its contemporary design for reflecting “the prominent location within which the site is located.”

The project includes a partly recessed ground floor which, according to the case officer, “will give breath” to the commercial space by creating “a covered semi-public open space” that promotes social interaction. The area will be framed by striking, “tree-shaped blue steel pillars”, forming a contemporary portico that serves as a distinctive and visually engaging feature.

Traffic impact

A Transport Impact Assessment acknowledged that major junction failures in the area are expected by 2031, but concluded that “this will happen with or without the proposed development.”

While there is “no straightforward solution,” the case officer refers to a local plan policy calling for a comprehensive transport strategy for the Fgura–Paola–Tarxien area, including junction upgrades, traffic calming measures, controlled parking schemes, and increased use of alternative transport.

Cash for heritage

The approval marks the end of a long saga, during which the landowner successfully requested the de-scheduling of the farmhouse after the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage concluded that the building was not worthy of protection.

The farmhouse had been granted Grade 3 protection in 1995, as parts of it were believed to date back over 200 years. The Fgura local council had proposed restoring the building, reconstructing its original niche, and transforming the site into a public cultural centre and green open space.

The council’s appeal against the demolition—arguing the farmhouse was Fgura’s oldest building—was unsuccessful.

Initially, a permit condition required the reuse of the farmhouse’s stone corbels in any new development. However, a €7,000 ‘heritage gain’ payment allowed the developer to bypass this obligation. The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage later concluded that reusing these elements “is not feasible to implement and would constitute a pastiche of elements devoid of any context.”