A planning application that will see the construction of 72 residential units and an underlying parking area right next to the Trade Fair grounds in Naxxar is set to be decided by the Planning Authority this Thursday.

The proposal will see residential units built over four floors and a receded floor and includes maisonettes, apartments and penthouses.

The proposed development site consists of an existing vacant plot at il-Gwejdja, partly facing Pjazza Celsi and right next to the Trade Fair Grounds within the limits of the development zone. The site in question is partly within the Urban Conservation Area of Naxxar and the wider site context is characterized by a mixture of uses which include agricultural, residential and commercial.

The case officer notes that there are three Grade I scheduled properties in relative close proximity to the site: Grade 1 Torri Gauci and the adjoining residential property at No. 9 it-Torri Gauci and Palazzo Parisio, located circa 330m and 150m away (linear distance) respectively.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) said that the area is archaeologically sensitive, in particular related to recent discoveries within a large development at 110m from the proposed site and to the existence of underground irrigation water galleries and tunnels in connection with Palazzo Parisio Garden. "The potential survival of other archaeological remains cannot be excluded."

"The proposed building height reaches 17.50 meters above the highest street level and the site is in close vicinity to a full detached area designated for a medium-rise buildings," the case officer said in his report.

The Naxxar local council had aired some concerns with the project, "over the potential impacts of this large scale residential development." Among other things, the council highlighted the need for the interface with, and impacts on, the UCA to be very carefully considered.

The case officer notes that concerns with regard to visual impact were raised by the SCH and the Design Advisory Committee (DAC) about the impact of the proposal on both the local and the wider context due to the vicinity to Pjazza Celsi and the potential impact of the development in the short, medium and long distance views. "The photomontages and the volumetric studies indicate that there is a visual impact on the UCA, but this is also mitigated from the potential future development of the buildings within the area up to 2-floors."

The SCH and the DAC also raised concerns regarding the transition within the UCA and how the stepping should be carried out. The case officer said "however, that following a discussion between the Directorate and the architect's office, the transition in terms of building heights has been implemented outside the UCA boundary and the transition line has been indicated within the volumetric studies considering the latest proposal as acceptable. The construction of the massing between the UCA and the scheme not UCA is considered well-articulated, minimizing the overshadowing of the building and recalls the concept of erosion that perfectly fits with the medium and long-distance views of the development."

The case officer has recommended that the project be allowed, subject to a number of conditions.

The report also noted that there are outstanding fees relative to the site subject of this application. "If payment is not settled at least two days prior to the date of the sitting, the application should be dismissed."