PA turns down developer’s request to retain ‘hindering’ structure in St Paul’s Bay

The Planning Authority (PA) has refused a planning control application in Triq San Gwann Battista c/w Sqaq tax-Xama in St Paul’s Bay which sought to reduce the official street width by retaining an old structure which encroached beyond the official building alignment, the PA said in a statement.

The PA had previously given development permission for the construction of an apartment block on this corner site. The permission was subject to the condition that the street is to be opened according to the official building alignment.

However, the developer proceeded to construct the building without adhering to this condition, thereby leaving the old building jutting out of the building alignment, the PA said. This created a bottleneck, as well as a hazard to pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

The matter raised a number of objections from the residents and users of the area, as well as the Local Council of St Paul’s Bay.

The Planning Authority issued an enforcement notice with daily fines in view of non-compliance with the permission condition.

Moreover, compliance certificates were not issued on any part of the building. The planning control application submitted by the permit holder of the apartment block sought to change the street alignment so that the structure which encroached beyond the building line is retained. On the other hand, that part of the old structure which did nor encroach beyond the building line was demolished to make way for the construction of the apartment block.

For the above reasons, the Planning Authority did not accept the proposed change in alignment. The enforcement notice will remain in place until the street is formed according to the official street alignment. Compliance certificates on the individual apartments will be issued when the conditions of the permissions are complied with in full, the PA said.