Watchdog irked by ‘incongruent’ inscription on Balzan St Roque niche

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage is objecting to the Park Lane development that will supplant the disused Dolphin commercial centre in Balzan, saying the 90-apartment complex abutting the town’s historic centre was “incongruous” with its surroundings.

The watchdog has also taken umbrage at a proposal to relocate Balzan’s St Roque niche from its prominent location at the corner between Triq Wied il-Balzan and Triq il-Kbira, with the inscription ‘Park Lane’ anove it.

The niche forms part of the abandoned Dolphin complex now earmarked for the the 90-unit complex and 2,500sq.m of retail shops, proposed by Clifton Attard, a business partner of construction magnate Joe Portelli.

The project has been advertised on Portelli’s website for the past year, even before plans were published on the Planning Authority’s website as reported by MaltaToday last year.

The project’s architect, Maria Schembri Grima, was appointed chairperson of the Building and Construction Agency in April 2021.

Apart from objecting to the scale of the five-storey apartment block, which it termed ‘incongruous’ with the neighbouring Urban Conservation Area, the Superintendence is objecting to the incorporation of the niche in the proposed design.

The Superintendence insists that the niche be kept in its prominent location on display at the corner between two streets. “The Superintendence immediately objects to the location as proposed stating that the niche is to retain its prominent location on display at the corner between the two streets.”

It took umbrage at the “proposed juxtaposition of the proposed name-plate above the niche” which is described as “quite unacceptable”. The SCH insists that the siting of the niche “is in no way to be challenged by extraneous architectural elements”.

The Balzan development is part of a long saga of planning abuse dating back to the early 1990s.

Prior to the construction of the Dolphin supermarket, the site was occupied by a historical 18th century villa.

In 1990, the Antiquities Committee at the Department of Museums, a precursor of the SCH, resigned en bloc after its calls to preserve the villa were overruled when the PAPB (the regulator of the time) issued a permit for the Dolphin complex, on condition that Villa Birbal’s corner street shrine be reintegrated into the new facade.

30 years later, the SCH is warning that the proposed development fails to provide for adequate transition to the Balzan UCA.

While accepting that the site can be redeveloped, the Planning Authority wants a reduction in volume by having the block extending into the UCA not exceed three storeys and a receded floor – one floor less than is being proposed.

Over 250 objections were submitted against the proposed development.

Moviment Graffitti also objected to plans, warning that these are against the SPED policies for UCA zones, which calls for projects to identify, protect and enhance the character of urban areas.

It warned that the building height would unavoidably darken the entire area, while not following the required transition in height from the UCA zone. The project lies in an area characterised by terraced houses.

“The approval of this enormous development will highlight the insensitivity of the Planning Authority towards residents’ wishes, whilst further cementing the fact that large developers are free to develop without regard to plans, policies and laws,” Graffitti said in its objection.