Zejtun: giant retail mall resurrected

A huge 28,000 square metre retail centre is being earmarked for the Barbros construction plant next to the Lidl supermarket in Zejtun.

The two-storey centre will be built over 14,000 sq.m footprint, which is 40% of the current site.

A similar application, now withdrawn, had been presented three years ago by Hudson International Group.

The ‘commercial hub’ is outside development zones but the site is currently designated as an area of containment – a zoning for areas which accommodate industrial or commercial related activities, located outside the development zone.

The local plan allows the redevelopment of these sites when no deleterious impacts result from the proposed development on neighbouring sites. But the disturbed area is surrounded by agricultural land. Surface parking facilities will also spill outside the area of containment.

The development will actually incorporate the existing Lidl supermarket on the ground floor. The Planning Authority’s design advisory committee wants three photomontages from different streets before giving its opinion.

Objections have already been presented, with one resident saying the parking areas should be afforested with indigenous trees. A suggestion was made for a roof garden to diminish the project’s negative impact. Residents expressed concern on the scale of the project and traffic pressures.

The latest application was presented by Anton Schembri of the Schembri Barbros group. The previous Hudson application had included three levels of parking facilities.

The previous application had been recommended for refusal before being withdrawn, because the parking area at the back of the site fell outside the area of containment boundary. A transport impact assessment was never presented. The TIA is currently being prepared for the present application.