A proposed development application that sought to replace a traditional terraced house with a 4-storey building along Triq tal-Mensija in San Gwann has been turned down by the Planning Authority.

The Commission cited that the existing terraced house is an integral part of a meticulously designed streetscape characterized by other similar 2-storey houses with a distinctive architectural style, the Planning Authority said in a statement.

The Commission also pointed out that the proposed increase in height and visual design does not harmonize with this established context posing a threat to the well-defined visual characteristics and urban design of the area.

Although the development does not fall within San Gwann’s Urban Conservation Area (UCA), the proposal was not offering any enhancement to the area's quality and amenity. In recent weeks, the Planning Authority rejected other similar development applications so as to safeguard the homogeneity of the existing streetscape and avoid the creation of disruptive blank walls.

These applications were located in Triq Santa Margerita, Sliema, and Pjazza Patri Redent Gauci, Fgura.