Stivala wants chairs and tables on Gzira lido’s rooftop

Micheal Stivala is asking the Planning Authority to sanction illegally installed glass railings on the rooftop of a Gżira lido.

The building impresario is also asking for permission to use the rooftop for outside catering purposes.

The lido along Gżira’s promenade was approved in 2016 with a condition that its roof is not cluttered by any structures. It was built on 2,300sq.m of reclaimed land.

The railings are already in place but lack a permit. The original permit had specified that services were to be built on a lower level.

Both the Environment and Resources Authority and Superintendence for Cultural Heritage have issued their clearance for the development. ERA noted that the rooftop extension will have no environmental impact. The SCH concluded the development will not create an additional impact on views from strategic vantage points such as Valletta and Manoel Island.

But Din l-Art Helwa is objecting, noting that the proposed glass railing at the first-floor level will render the upper floor accessible and effectively result in a substantial increase in the site’s available gross floor area, thus increasing the intensity of commercial use through piecemeal requests.

The project, which includes a swimming pool and two restaurants, was approved in 2016 to cater for guests of four nearby hotels  behind the project including the Bay View Hotel, the Kennedy Nova Hotel, The Strand Hotel, and the Waterfront Hotel. The site was transferred to a consortium made up of the four Gzira hotels through a parliamentary resolution in 2018. The concession is valid for a period of 65 years.