The PA’s Planning Commission has ruled against the demolition of a majestic colonial dual staircase at Villa Blackman in Balzan. The Commission refused to grant development permission for the Villa to be changed to a Childcare Centre.

This would have included the demolition of the staircase which is surrounded with a mesmerising ceiling covered in frescos. The Villa is sited within a Residential Priority Area. The Commission confirmed the Development Management Directorate's recommendation that the proposed change of use from a residence into Child Care facility would have a negative impact on the residential amenity of the surrounding neighbourhood.

Photo: Charles Paul Azzopardi

Although the Policy Guidance for Child Day Care Facilities permits such developments within Residential Priority Areas, these may only be of a very small scale (home-based child day care facilities) and limited to a maximum of six children, in order that the residential amenity of the area remains largely uncompromised.

The Commission refused to permit the proposed works that included the demolishing of the internal stairwell which besides being unique is by far the focal architectural element of the entire property. Unlike the weighty stone balustrades and stairs which were prevalent in the Baroque era, with the advent of Neo-Classicism in the 19th Century staircases displayed elaborate, decorative wrought-iron railings and marble steps, especially when the owner wanted to display affluence and a social class.

In recent years, this grand hall with its stunning staircase featured in a publication dedicated to the different typologies, forms and architectural styles of stairs and staircases in Malta throughout the centuries.