13-storey tower proposed in Xemxija

A 13-storey development set to include 282 apartments is being proposed on garigue land in Xemxija presently enclosed by residential development on three sides.

The development will involve the excavation of 6,643sq.m of land fronting Triq il-Maqdes Neolitiku to accommodate an underground car park over two levels.

Commercial development including restaurants and shops are being proposed at ground floor level while 282 apartments are being proposed on the overlying 12 floors.

The application was presented by Tony Gauci on behalf of Chetgau Ltd a company owned by Yvette Chetcuti - spouse of former MDA chairman Sandro Chetcuti - and Francis Gauci.

According to the plans, the new building will occupy nearly half of the 14,000sq. site. The rest of the site is earmarked for a picnic area, and a kids play area.

Part of the site is designated as an Area of Archaeological Importance due to the presence of cart ruts. The submitted plans refer to archaeological ruins in the area which will be preserved.

The company does not own the entire site but declared it has permission from the owners to develop the land. But six owners  who claim owning half the land, have already contested this declaration. They have denied giving consent to the development, and formally requested the Planning Authority to remove their land from the application.

The development is being proposed a short distance away from another high-rise project being proposed by developer Charles Camilleri on the site of the former Corinthia Mistra village.

The Camilleri development which includes 774 apartments was approved in breach of a policy which bans the erection of high-rise developments on ridges and the decision is currently being reviewed by the Environment and Planning Tribunal after it was revoked by the law courts. The site has already been excavated despite the pending appeal.

If approved, the two developments are bound to exacerbate traffic problems in the area particularly, on the roundabout at the top of Xemxija Hill. In 2013, Transport Malta had already warned that the road is already straining to cope with the existing flow of traffic.  Any alternative bypass would potentially have a huge impact on the protected rural environment in the north of Malta.