Farsons opt against high-rise to construct seven office blocks in Mriehel

Farsons have deliberately opted out the policy allowing over 10-storey buildings in Mriehel and have instead proposed seven office blocks of five storeys each with six gardens in between, ensuring a minimal visual impact but the project have a notable impact on residents due to noise and dust during the construction phase. 

“Although the Planning Policy Guide on the Use and Applicability of the Floor Area Ratio (FAR), 2014 allows for high-rise developments within the Mriehel Industrial Estate, Farsons are not seeking the construction of high-rise office blocks but are limiting the building height to complement the scheduled Art Deco façade”, an environment impact assessment report reveals. 

A total of six gardens will be introduced between the seven office blocks as public open spaces, which will cover a total area of 2,856 m2. 

The proposed development is based on the conversion, rehabilitation and re-use of the listed Grade 2 old Mriehel brewery, which includes the old brewhouse (OBH), boardroom, entrance and façade. 

Its aim is to provide office space for Malta’s expanding ICT, gaming and financial sectors”. There has also been a substantial increase in foreign investment, with numerous companies and institutes now operating in Malta. As a result of such developments, the demand for quality office space is on the increase”.

The area of Mriehel has been recently designated as an Enterprise Zone which aims at the conversion the industrial estate into a commercial area. 

In this way Mriehel will offer quality office space beyond the precincts of the business areas in Sliema and St. Julians’ which till today are more commonly associated with such demand. “Thus, whilst the proposed business park would fit within this concept, it will also set the standard even in terms of its aesthetic and environmental credentials,” the EIA astates. 

The development foresees the demolition of existing buildings except for the Grade 2 screen façade and the construction of seven blocks, the construction of landscaped courtyards adjacent to the offices and a gymnasium. The project also includes a multi-level carpark which holds 702 vehicles. 

The EIA identifies a number of negative impacts mainly an increase in dust, increased noise levels, and visual impacts from short-distance views. 

The construction phase which will take three years will result in generation of “significant” quantities of dust. 

“Without effective control of the dust being dissipated away from the construction site, the nearby residents will be impacted by having deteriorated visibility, reduced visual amenity of their houses and roads, as well as increased respiratory risks.”

During the operational phase, the increased influx of visitors to the area is bound to increase the vehicular traffic and subsequently the air pollution of the area. It is important to note that the area is already extremely frequented by motorists, and the envisaged influx of visitors is not expected to cause more than a minor increase in the impacts to air quality. 

In order to minimise the dispersion of airborne particulates generated mainly during the demolition, excavation and construction phases of the Scheme, a number of mitigation measures can be adopted. These include fixed and movable water nebulisers, wheel- washing facilities and wetting of internal roads within the construction site. Once the mitigation measures are implemented, the residual impacts reduce drastically to a minor significance. 

During the construction stages noise levels exceeding the ‘WHO guidance for noise levels during construction’ are expected in one particular location during daytime hours, “possibly resulting in greater difficulty for people to maintain intelligible speech”.