Domino effect in St Julian’s with demand to raise Sirdar heights

The owners of a St Julian’s home seeking the green light for a five-storey boutique hotel development, are citing a precedent from a similar permit for the adjacent St George’s Villa, near the City of London pub by the Main Street.

Sirdar House’s owners are ignoring an appeals tribunal decision that limited development on another neighbouring villa, Villa Leoni, to two extra storeys.

Architects for owner Andrea Zammit Tabona are trying to justify an additional five floors on top of the 19th century townhouse, by referring to existing planning commitments for the neighbouring properties.

The Planning Authority has already approved five new floors on the adjacent St George’s Villa, in a series of permits issued between 2014 and 2020. But the streetscape plan presented by architect Edwin Mintoff also shows four new storeys on Villa Leoni, as proposed back in 2018 for a four-star hotel by owner Ray Zammit. The plan also refers to the potential height of the townhouse, set between Villa Leoni and Sirdar House, on which no application had been presented.

But this plan ignores a decision by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, which limits the part of the development overlooking Main Street, to five floors, one of which receded.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has already asked the developers to correct this plan. “Given the architect’s attempt to justify proposed height in terms of existing commitments, the architect is immediately asked to amend the streetscape drawing, amending in particular the pro-posed height of Villa Leoni, so as to reflect the direction given by the EPRT in its ruling on the matter.”

The Planning Authority had originally refused the application to convert Villa Leoni and its garden into a hotel. But the decision was partly overturned by the EPRT in February 2022, while setting conditions to reduce the height, and retain the existing building – not just its façade – completely.

The Sirdar House conversion foresees its complete internal demolition and the retention of the façade.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has yet to inspect the property before any final recommendations but has expressed concern at the “intensity of the proposed development, which includes extensive excavation and increase in volumes, with inevitable impact on the fabric and the architectural legibility of the property.”

While not excluding additional storeys, the SCH insists that “any increase in height as may be permitted is to maintain traditional proportions at the first floor and is to follow terracing along the street, following the lie of the land.”

Sirdar House dates to the late 19th century and is located within the Urban Conservation Area of St Julian’s. The Superintendence has recognised “the evident architectural value” of the property, insisting that this “warrants appropriate treatment”. So far, over 140 objections have been presented against the application.