After taking up the Mepa board’s time four times and also a site visit, an application for the development of the 1908 Blackley Bakery in Pieta` was finally approved by the Mepa board yesterday with four votes, including that of MP Roderick Galdes, outweighing those of two members, including Mepa chairman Austin Walker.

The site occupies a wedge-form of land with one end facing on to the main Pieta` road, going up the hill in front of the small 17th century church on one side, and extending as well on the other, steeper side. It used to be three buildings – the bakery, with adjoining yard and a marshalling area for horses and carts, a workers dwelling and an ancillary building.

The issue which faced the board was whether since this is a Scheduled Level Two building, Mepa should allow a further storey or two on top since apart from a third storey, the developers planned a fourth recessed one. The developer had previously argued that he had wanted even another floor or two and that this was the barest he could come down to in order to make the project viable.

It was argued at yesterday’s meeting that the Cabinet memo ordered that over-development in urban conservation areas was to be avoided and it was further clarified that surrounding buildings have two storeys but the ones in front were three storeys high.

Chairman Walker said that personally he was against adding more floors to a scheduled building but he was told that the recessed floor on top amounted to no more than a washroom but this was rebutted by someone pointing out that three out of four penthouses were units on their own, rather than extensions of a dwelling.