Manoel Island downsizing gives MIDI 63 extra apartments in Tigné

The developers of the Tigné Point and Manoel Island project have been allowed to transfer 8,000sq.m of developable space from one project to the other.

MIDI plc will be able to carry out a 9,000sq.m development at Tigné by transferring 8,000sq.m of floor space it will not develop on Manoel Island, despite having nearly used all its allocated floor space at Tigné Point.

The latest addition at Tigné will be a 17-storey building for 63 apartments overlooking a restored garden battery.

Back in 1999, the Planning Authority approved a total floor space of 132,055sq.m in Tigné.

It now transpires that only 956sq.m of floor space has not been utilised in the various developments already approved in Tigné.

But amendments to the Manoel Island masterplan, approved in March 2019, had reduced MIDI’s available floor-space in the Gzira project by 8,000sq.m.

Despite the decrease in floor space, the Manoel Island project still involves an increase in the number of residential units from 415 to 610 when compared to the 1999 masterplan. The project includes a 5-star hotel inside the Lazzaretto complex, an 8,449sq.m retail complex, a marina for 183 berths and 3,695sq.m allocated for sports facilities.

A recent PA board meeting discussing changes to the Manoel Island masterplan, revealed that 8,000sq.m of floor space in Gzira would now be transferred to the Tigné project.

The issue had caused some controversy in the PA board. Labour MP Clayton Bartolo, who represented the government on the PA board, had warned that the transfer would impact the Tigné masterplan, and requested a clarification before a decision is taken on Manoel Island.

But asked last year by MaltaToday whether Midi’s latest application includes the 8,000sq.m of floor space, the company would not commit itself.

“At the moment a ‘yes or no’ answer is not possible as Midi is currently reconciling the developed areas with the PA which is likely to take a little time,” the spokesperson had said.

The PA’s Planning Directorate is recommending positively this reduction in floor space since it would contribute in a decrease in massing and density on Manoel Island. It also contends that the transfer of development rights of the 8,000sq.m unused floorspace to the Tigné area is in line with the emphyteutical grant. Additionally, the garden battery project is also part of the eligible floor area for a total of 8,956sq.m of floor space.

But since the total proposed floor area for the Tigné addition is 9,160sq.m, it still exceeds the threshold by 204sq.m. Even so, the PA’s planning directorate is of the opinion that this additional floor area can be considered as marginal and negligible, in comparison to its context and size of the whole project.

The project now set for approval consists of four basement levels catering for 81 car parking spaces, and rising up to 17 storeys, seven of which will receded and include 63 residential units.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage had initially objected to the development expressing its “grave concern that the proposed building Q3 will obscure the context of the Garden Battery and any visuals of the gun emplacements”.

But following a site inspection the SCH dropped its objections after noting that what is left of the Garden Battery has already lost its visuals to the open sea due to “a massive concrete structure forming part of the road tunnel on the side”.