The Planning Authority Board has approved the Townsquare development project, with seven Board members voting in favour and six against.
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) representative was sick and was unable to attend the hearing, and the ERA are not allowed to send a replacement.
The project will include a 38 storey tower built on the Union Club site in Sliema. The Townsquare project will feature 159 apartments, 4,700 square metres of office space, 10,000 square metres of retail space and 748 parking spaces as well as the restoration of the nearby Villa Drago.
The construction of a 38-storey apartment building will result in fewer apartments built, than if the Townsquare project was built traditionally, Architect in charge of the Townsquare project Martin Xuereb said today.
This area was always designated for a high rise development, he said, “If we built normally, as sites in Sliema and Tigne are normally built, there would be 26 blocks resulting in 227 apartments resulting in less open space and a worse infrastructure”.
By constructing a high rise, we would reduce the amount of apartments to 159, thus meaning 68 fewer apartments than if done normally. Obviously there would be more open space”.
The goals of the project, he said, is to help rejuvenate and rehabilitate the area commercially, restore Villa Drago, build apartments that are good for both the local lifestyle and the foreign markets.
By chooaing to develop a high rise, we would reduce the amount of apartments to 159, thus meaning 68 fewer apartments than if done normally. Obviously there would be more open space”.
At the start of the hearing, the Board announced that a Judicial Protest by NGOs was filed, stating that the NGOs will hold the board members individually responsible for damages as per the law if the permit is approved.
The Board’s lawyer said that the protest aims at holding Board members responsible for damages if the is approved through this judicial protest. “This is wrong, one should not put this kind of personal pressure on board members aiming to influence their decision. It is unacceptable that procedures be used in this manner”.
“The authority and the individual members must not be subjected to this kind of pressure in an attempt to influence their personal decisions. Every Board member should decide serenely, based on policies and the individual basis of the case”.
He quoted from the law, stating that no board member shall be held responsible for any damages.
Townsquare will include a central plaza and underground car park, with an entrance from Hughes Hallet Street and an underground link under Triq Qui-Si-Sana.
The project’s commercial zone will be accessible from Tower Road, he said, while residents will enter through Hughes Hallet Street.
He spoke about the impact of wind on the project, and said there was no negative impact on the building, or on third parties around the building. Turning to the shadow study, he said shadow impact is negligible, as the other buildings in the area already shadow the surroundings.
“Through this development we managed to bring forward a high quality mixed development, big avenues, with everything being pedestrianised, large open spaces that everyone will benefit from”. He said the building would be a landmark building.
The project will provide 355 residential parking spaces, and 395 commercial parking spaces. Car Park occupancy will vary, taking into consideration that office users typically work from 8am to 5pm, etc. It was said that 100 spaces would be available as public parking.
As for the impact of noise from construction, during excavation noise would rise to anywhere between 85 dB(A) and 95 dB(A). During construction this would lower to anywhere between 75dB(a) to 87 dB(A) .
A social assessment drawn up back in 2007 showed people in the area were mainly worried about the project not being viable, that the characteristics of the area would change, that there would be safety issues, noise and light pollution etc.
This social assessment was heavily criticised by Sliema local councillor Michael Briguglio, who said it was conducted in 2007 and was not conducted on an ongoing basis. As such, Dr Briguglio said, it cannot take into consideration the changes which occurred after 2007. He also said a number of people on roads close to the project were not contacted.
Representing a number of NGOs, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar Coordinator Astrid Vella made a presentation. She questioned who would benefit from the open space, and whether the public would benefit at all. She also mentioned the shadows which would effect peoples’ roofs, and as such would effect solar panels etc.
Mrs Vella also said that it would destroy views from Valletta. She also questioned how internal changes to Villa Drago, a scheduled building, could take place.
Mrs Vella also asked whether a demolition study had taken place, stating that three surrounding buildings are scheduled buildings.
She proceeded to show images of sewage overflow on Sliema streets, stating that the infrastructure in the area is already problematic.
The Sliema local council representative on the Board Paul Radmilli appealed for the Board to wait for the Water Services Corporation to give their opinions on the proposed development before taking any sort of decision, particularly given the sewage infrastructure problems the area faces.
Alternattiva Demokratika’s Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo brought up the Floor Area Ratio Policy, mentioning that such construction must take place in a completely detached urban block, surrounded by streets on all sides. He said this project does not qualify, arguing that the pedestrian passageways are not streets.
Planning Authority Chairman Vince cassar voted against the application, he said there was a lack of information. “The visual impact this project will create on the Sliema area as well as from other points in Valletta etc are major. I admit that the Tigne area is earmarked for high rises, but this is, in my opinion, an exaggerated high rise. We could have gone for something smaller, something more spread out”.
He also said that the noise will be excessive during development, but I cannot accept the solution being that residents keep their windows closed. I also say that I agree with the comment, that it is not surrounded by four streets.
PN MP Ryan Callus, who sits on the Board, said the impact was visibly excessive.” I don’t think it is 100% in line with the FAR policy”.
Photos: Jonathan Borg