Din L-Art Helwa has objected to a planning application which proposes the construction of a home for the elderly on the site of Villa Sans Souci and its surroundings, on the outskirts of Marsaxlokk.

The application plans to integrate the villa into the home. The proposal includes the restoration of the existing dilapidated villa, which will serve as a restaurant, wellness center, include clinics and administrative offices to complement the home.

It proposes the construction of a new structure, which would be a four-story elderly care home featuring 74 rooms, along with the excavation and development of three basement levels designated for ancillary facilities and parking.

The site is located on Triq iz-Zejtun, and is outside the development zone.

NGO Din L-Art Helwa has filed an objection against the development, while the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage wants changes to the application.

Din L-Art Helwa says that the proposed new take-up of ODZ land and the proposed introduction of a "massive volume that will overwhelm the historical property" is in breach of sections of the Rural Policy and Design Guidance.

Providing some historical context of the villa, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage in a submission states that Villa Sans Souci was constructed by Prof. Salvatore Luigi Pisani (Malta's first Chief Government Medical Officer) as his residence in the 1870s. This building, within its immediate context has significant Cultural Heritage, architectural and historical value meriting preservation, it said.

"It is documented that a mural done by Lazzaro Pisani who at the time was a good friend of Prof. Salvatore Luigi Pisani, was present on the wall opposing the staircase at the first floor and other wall paintings with floral motifs decorating the walls leading up to the previously mentioned mural. Other features might be surviving on the interior of the Villa and the ancillary buildings. The bell cot surmounting the main facade elevation housed a bell, that was presumably intended for emergency communication purposes in the absence of telecommunication networks that were later introduced, in the late 19th century."

Nowadays, the villa has gained a reputation for being one of the country's most haunted properties.

While not stating that it objects to the development, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage wants a number of amendments to plans made, including removing planned construction on top of an existing adjoining building to the left of the villa. Another amendment is that it wants a gap to be retained in between the existing buildings and the proposed new building to the left, although it said that it would not be opposed to an interconnection between the existing buildings and the new one at the lower levels.

The Marsaxlokk Local Council, "in principle" welcomed the proposed restoration of this historical building and its repurpose for a different use. The council said that a care home for the elderly "has become a necessity in the locality and the need will continue to grow as the population is expected to age," and welcomed the application's intent to incorporate an elderly care home. It made a number of requests, including that the façade of the new building housing the home for the elderly be built in globigerina limestone, and that the design of the façade of the new building housing the home for the elderly be improved to incorporate architectural features inspired by the original Villa Sans Souci, among other things.

Meanwhile, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has requested that the applicant file a Project Description Statement, stating that the proposal qualifies for further assessment as per Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations.