ERA objects to five new dwellings in Landrijiet hamlet

The Environment and Resources Authority is objecting to the proposed construction of five new dwellings on undeveloped land in the Landrijiet rural hamlet in Rabat.

The terraced houses are being proposed on a 771sq.m plot of land adjacent to an existing dwelling which presently consists of a private garden enclosed by a rubble wall which hosts within it several mature trees.

The application foresees the uprooting of several trees and the destruction of rubble walls, which are an intrinsic part of the character of the area.

In its objection ERA warned that the development will result in the significant uptake of rural land, the uprooting of numerous trees and an intensification of urban development in the ODZ.

Din l-Art Helwa is also objecting to the development describing the application as a threat to  the integrity of the rural environment and one which is in breach of the policy regulating development in rural hamlets.

Although outside the development zone, the area is designated as a Category 2 settlement, a designation for existing rural hamlets, where new dwellings with a footprint of 150sq.m can be allowed on uncommitted land.

But the  local plan limits such development to infill sites, corner sites and sites which form the end of a row of three dwellings. Moreover, the local plan clearly excludes development on sites, which contain mature trees, and which contribute to the character of the settlement. The local plan also states that any new development should not negatively impact the settlement's character and its surrounding rural environment.

The development is being proposed by Benji Psaila who declared owning the site in question. The application was presented as an outline one, a planning mechanism which sets the building parameters for the development of a site before a full planning application is presented.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage is also objecting to the development development as proposed, noting that the development of a  row of five  dwellings will impact negatively on the character of the hamlet. Instead, the SCH has suggested the inclusion of several open spaces or alleys in between the proposed units.