The Lija local council yesterday hailed the “responsible” decision taken by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to issue a conservation order, limiting the development of two properties in Transfiguration Avenue next to the Belvedere.
In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, Mepa said that the board decided to issue a conservation order on the “monumental space of two properties in Transfiguration Avenue that are situated within the scheduled buffer zone of the Lija Belvedere Tower.”
Mepa said that the conservation order prohibits any building works to be carried out beyond two floors from street level.
During a press conference held after the decision was made public, a smiling Lija mayor Ian Castaldi Paris said that that Mepa’s decision, which was taken in favour of the scheduling and following the local plan, closed an important chapter for the locality and the country at large.
Dr Castaldi Paris said that many might have not had faith that the authority would take the right decision and added that these were proved wrong.
“Mepa took a responsible decision and our work is done – we are very satisfied,” he said.
In its statement, Mepa said that the “scheduled monumental space, referred to as the buffer zone area safeguards the visual integrity of the Lija Belvedere Tower and its surroundings.”
“The conservation order further strengthens the authority’s stand in safeguarding the visual integrity of the Lija Belvedere Tower and its surroundings, following the decision taken by the authority last July to schedule a visual buffer zone around Lija Belvedere Tower,” said the authority.
During the press conference, Dr Castaldi Paris announced that next week, the council’s architect will carefully examine the local plans in preparation for a public consultation for all the residents on the Lija local council plan.
“We will listen carefully to what the residents have to say, draw up the proposals and then forward them to Mepa,” he said.
However, he reassured residents that the possible changes that might be brought about through these proposals will not affect permits or developments that have already been approved.
“We protested over these two properties next to the Belvedere because they were very close to a building which was scheduled as Grade 1,” he said.
Dr Castaldi Paris explained that the public consultation aims to prevent future development in gardens, even private ones, and limit building heights in certain parts of Lija.