San Blas ruins want ‘room with a view’ PA permit

A large, 30 sq.m ‘agricultural’ store would enjoy the breathtaking views of San Blas beach and the surrounding countryside in Nadur, if approved by the Planning Authority.

Applicant Nathaniel Grima wants to demolish an unroofed ruin along the narrow Triq San Blas, opposite a large natural boulder, to rebuild “a pre-1978 agricultural store” with basement, which means excavating the highly sensitive area.

The plans by leading Gozitan architect Alex Bigeni show the new store will consist of weathered, unpainted franka stone, and timber apertures painted in white.

The 2014 rural policy allows the PA to permit “the total redevelopment” of any pre-1978 agricultural building, as long as the same floor space is retained. In this case the applicant will not even be required to prove this store is required for agricultural reasons, as is the case with brand new stores. And while the size of new stores are limited by tha of the agricultural holding, the reconstruction of older structures has to be the same size as the original building.

The only condition is that the replacement building has “high quality rural design” and “fully respect the wider context in which it is located”.

The policy does not apply to vernacular buildings that cannot be demolished but only restored and rehabilitated: these are countryside buildings containing features “which reflect local needs, traditions, and construction materials.”

The development is being proposed in buffer zone for an Area of Ecological Importance.

Over the past years the PA’s rural policy has paved the way for a proliferation of agricultural stores in the countryside. A draft policy set to replace the one approved in 2014, which removed any reference to the redevelopment of countryside ruins, has been pending approval since 2020 when it was proposed by former environment minister Aaron Farrugia.