MEPA set to give go ahead to six storeys above naval clinic

A decision on the project, which proposes an extra six floors and a penthouse level, built on the existing naval clinic façade and two levels of car park under the pjazzetta is expected on 18 December.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s Environment Directorate (EPD) had expressed concern about vibrations from excavations required for developing a two-level car park beneath the Sliema pjazzetta on the underlying Ghar id-Dud cave system.

But the Planning Directorate concluded that these excavations can still be carried out in a way that will not endanger the Ghar id-dud and Ghar il-Lembi caves.

A decision on the project, which proposes an extra six floors and a penthouse level, built on the existing naval clinic façade and two levels of car park under the pjazzetta is expected on 18 December.

The EPD noted that the proposed underground car park beneath the pjazzetta is directly adjacent to the area identified as “moderately sensitive” to “external stress” in terms of cave and ground stability in a survey carried out in October 2004.

The study was conducted to assess the impact of a proposed car park below the existing promenade.

Plans for the development of this car park were shelved after the results of these studies were published by MaltaToday.

According to the report, Ghar il-Lembi has  a “very weak” internal stability and could collapse in the “short term” while the internal stability of Ghar id-Dud is “weak” but not as weak as that of Ghar il-Lembi, making its collapse less imminent.

The EPD raised concerns on the works to be carried out in the vicinity of the sensitivity zones and requested that the underground car park be down scaled to avoid excavations in the area nearest to the sensitive zone and called for a targeted geo-technical study to assess the impact of excavations in the other areas.

According to the EPD, since several karstic features are known to occur in the area “it cannot be safely assumed that the vibrations will not travel to the high sensitive zones, potentially causing adverse effects to the cave systems”.

While taking note of these comments the Planning Directorate concluded that the proposed car park under the pjazzetta is further away from the sensitive area.

The Planning Directorate insisted that the sensitivity zones do not extend below the open piazza. Moreover the 2004 report also states that in the areas of moderate sensitivity like that immediately in the vicinity of the proposed car park, small scale works can still take place if adequate precautions are taken,

Pjazzetta to be retained as public open space

The Planning Directorate is recommending the approval of an extra six storeys on the existing façade of the naval clinic on condition that the developers sign a public deed to ensure that the pjazzetta is retained as a public open space, is adequately landscaped and maintained and is used for the enjoyment of the public.

Originally developer Mark Gasan wanted to build over the Pjazzetta but following protests by the local council in 2003, MEPA refused this application, which is still under appeal.

In fact the developers are also being asked by MEPA to drop an appeal against a previous MEPA refusal to build over the pjazzetta.

This development permission application proposes the retention and restoration of an existing Grade 2 scheduled façade known as the ‘clinic’.  But it also calls for the “sanctioning” of the illegal internal demolition of the building.

According to the Planning Directorate the proposed development will result in considerable gains for the public, which will finally have access to a landscaped space giving onto a restored clinic façade, which could be appreciated as a cultural heritage asset for the area.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has also given its go ahead to the project, noting that the current proposals reflect “long-standing project design negotiations with MEPA”, intended to create a viable project with a positive public gain on the urban environment.

In August 2013 the Sliema Local Council also gave its blessing to the proposed redevelopment of this long-abandoned site, welcoming the proposal to restore the historic façade and open space that are important landmarks in the locality.

But the Sliema council was the first to express concern on the possible impact on the cave system and to report the existence of an air raid shelter.

The council also reported the existence of an air raid shelter, noting that its records show that one such refuge exists below Il-Piazzetta calling for its preservation.

It was only following the council’s report that the developers’ architect confirmed the existence of a shelter on site. A survey of the shelter was submitted to the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and MEPA.

The SCH reviewed the cultural heritage importance of the shelter, concluding that they had no objection to the proposed elimination of the shelter by the proposed development.  However, in view of the loss of a subterranean corridor, they recommended “the mapping and recording of this feature as a mitigation measure”.

The Planning Directorate claims that the proposed development respects the height limitation proposed in the local plan. But while the proposed number of floors is considered as being within those stipulated in the local plan from a height in metres point of view, the proposed development is 34.39m high, which exceeds the maximum height in metres by 2.14m.

Transport Malta has also approved the development even if studies showed that by 2022 one of the junctions would not be able to absorb the increase in traffic if a new roundabout is not created.