Mosta valley building application withdrawn after case officer says no

An application for a five-storey apartment block outside development boundaries at the edge of Wied iċ-Ċawsli in Mosta has been withdrawn after the case officer described the proposal "objectionable in principle".

The site is at the edge of the picturesque valley and hosts a number of pomegranate and almond trees, which the owner wanted to transplant to another site.

Only a small area at the rear of the proposed building site is located within the development zone boundary. Moreover, the site is located within the buffer zone for an Area of Ecology Importance.

More than 200 residents had objected to the development. The Environment and Resources Authority had warned the development would require new road works as the site is presently accessed through a very narrow alley which is not amenable to adequate vehicular access.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage had also objected due to the negative impact on the rural landscape. The application was withdrawn just days after the publication of the case officer report recommending refusal.