Żabbar ‘raped’ by nursing home approval, mayor says

Żabbar Mayor Jorge Grech has accused the Planning Authority of allowing the locality to be “raped” after it approved a controversial nursing home development in the heart of the town on Tuesday.

“Our locality has been raped through this horrible and ill-conceived development, with the blessing and authorisation of the Planning Commission,” Grech said in a Facebook post on Thursday afternoon following the decision.

The Planning Commission authorised the permit for the nursing home in Pjazza Mediatrici on Tuesday, 25 November, despite unanimous objections from the local council since the application was first submitted.

The approved development will stand five storeys high opposite the Archpriestly Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace, though the original application had requested seven storeys.

The council maintains that even at five storeys, the building will severely harm the predominant feature enjoyed by the church on what Grech described as “the most beautiful street in Malta and the most beautiful square decorated and designed with classical architecture”.

The nursing home was first proposed with seven storeys in 2024.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage had expressed concern about the proposed height and had insisted that the development should be limited to three floors so as to preserve the traditional character of the area.

The development was still approved in 2020, but subsequently the permit was withdrawn by the Planning Authority, following a failure by the developers to comply with permit conditions.

The new application presented by developer Daniel Zahra foresaw the demolition of the existing dwelling, retaining its facade and the construction of a retirement home facility with 37 rooms, a basement carpark, morgue, two multi-purpose halls and a landscaped outdoor area at ground floor level.

The local council has raised serious concerns about parking provisions, arguing that the project fails to provide sufficient spaces for workers, services and visitors. The development will also reduce existing parking in Pjazza Mediatrici and Triq Ġanni Bonavia, creating further problems for accessibility.

Grech warned that the development will create “several high empty walls” visible from various areas of importance around the town.

He also pointed out that under current policies regarding nursing homes, the permit opens a window for an additional two floors to be added in future, bringing the total back to the originally proposed seven storeys.

During a council meeting on Tuesday evening, whilst discussing the sustainable Dar Sagra Familja project designed by the local council together with the Archdiocese of Malta, councillors unanimously agreed to study all procedures to continue fighting the approved development.

“The council unanimously agreed again to study all procedures in order to continue to fight this destruction in the face of Żabbar , which will erase once and for all the identity and character of our City,” Grech said.

The mayor pledged to continue working for the best interests of the town and called on residents to support the council’s efforts. “As I have always done, I will continue to work for the best interest of our City. I ask you to be behind us in every step we will be taking.”