Lombard takes former Dalli home for Balzan branch

Lombard Bank will turn a corner townhouse in Balzan’s Triq il-Kbira, formerly the house of former EU commissioner John Dalli, into its next branch.

Its former owner Mario Fomosa had unsuccessfully tried to demolish the property to replace it with an apartment block. In 2018, the Planning Authority finally issued a permit for a 10-apartment block in which the existing façade was to be integrated in the fabric of the new development, which will include two additional floors, one of which receded.   

But the townhouse was later sold to Lombard Bank, which already has a branch in a nearby site.

The corner townhouse is described by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage as a mid-20th century traditional building whose architectural features warrant preservation.

Lombard wants to add an additional storey and a receded floor. While the Superintendence has already given its go-ahead to the latest plans, the PA’s Advisory committee on design issues has expressed some concerns. The Design Advisory Committee says a proposed basement level should not extend beneath the interior face of the existing façade, and that the receded floor should retain the same setbacks approved in previous applications.

Din l-Art Helwa has also expressed concern on any increase in the volume of the building adding that the documentation presented so far is lacking in clarity.