Residents of Lija have joined forces against a proposed development that could see a village core garden turned into 10 apartments and 49 garages.

The proposed development, situated on Triq il-Forn and Triq id-Dejqa, would consist of five ground floors and five first floor apartments, including two lifts, washrooms at roof level and four underlying levels of basement lock-up garages. The developer, Bugeja & Desira Ltd, is proposing the internal demolition of an existing garage while retaining the façade, the removal of a garden boundary wall, excavation and closing of access from adjacent property.

The Planning Authority has so far received two objection letters and over 340 representations.

In a reasoned objection letter, a number of residents say the proposal runs counter to several policies, including the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED) and Urban Conservation area guidelines.

The residents say the development is not befitting to the character of the village and will have “disastrous” consequences on the environment, including the removal of trees and traffic congestion.

SPED, they argue, identifies the need to improve townscapes and historic cores. This should be achieved through formulating Conservation Action Area Plans in order to control design, form, scale, density and type of development and to facilitate appropriate housing types.

They also pointed to several of the policy’s thematic objectives, including “to improve the townscape and environment in historic cores and their setting with a presumption against demolition of property worthy of conservation.”

With regard to Urban Conservation Area policies, the residents say this “overdevelopment in such urban conservation area will result in what were once large, stately houses being converted to very small, congested developments with the result of creating an overpopulated location with all the repercussions of lack of good neighborliness, increased traffic, congestion etc.”

This development is located very closely to historically important structures such as the Lija Parish Church, small chapels and Villa Guorgion, they point out.

“Lija is a typical Maltese village and this certainly needs to be borne in mind when such planning decisions are taken. Conclusion: These apartments will set an undesirable precedent in an otherwise unspoiled location forming part of the UCA of Lija.”