Six villas proposed on Lija fields along main road

Six semi-detached villas with pools are proposed on a plot of farmland along Triq il-Kbira in Lija, an area designated for residential development in local plans.

The zoning restricts the structures to two floors to preserve the visual connection to the Belvedere.

Located on a corner site between Transfiguration Avenue and Triq il-Kbira, the main road connecting Lija to Mosta. The project stands opposite the Terranova outlet and the roundabout leading to Birkirkara. The villas, designed with a ground floor, an overlying full floor, and a receded second floor, feature extensive landscaped areas, including a row of trees along the main road. However, the development entails the removal of several existing almond and olive trees and the demolition of rubble walls.

The land earmarked for development excludes an old farmhouse structure adjacent to the agricultural plot. The application for the project has been submitted by Keith Attard Portughes’s ICI Ltd, a real estate company with a portfolio encompassing various villa development projects.

Despite the open character of the area, the site was designated as a residential priority area in the local plan approved in 2006. This designation permits dwellings with two floors and a semi-basement, while commercial development is strictly prohibited in these zones.

Subsequently in 2008, amidst controversy surrounding a development near Lija’s Belvedere tower, which faced strong opposition from then Lija mayor Ian Castaldi Paris, a buffer zone was imposed limiting the height in the surrounding area to two floors above the existing street level. The buffer zone which includes the area now earmarked for villas, aims at preserving the visual link between the Belvedere and Lija Parish Church.

The tower is approximately 200 metres from the site of the proposed villas.