Proposed boutique hotel near Gharb parish church raises concerns

A new boutique hotel is being proposed just 46m from the Gharb parish church in an application that foresees the addition of a receded floor on the existing two-storey townhouse.

The proposal includes an extension at the rear of the building into the countryside facing the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has already warned that this additional storey risks creating an extensive blank party wall within the locality’s urban conservation area, which is characterised by one-storey buildings.

In its review of the application, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage welcomed the retention of the facade and the front rooms of the existing building but expressed concern about the height extension, which it wants downscaled and possibly replaced by “a washroom-like structure.”

The SCH is not objecting to the proposed demolition of the rear of the property, which overlooks the countryside and the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary. However, the SCH has expressed its concern about the “considerable intensification” of development outside the development zone.

“Such an extension would set an undesired precedent for similar future applications, and therefore this office urges a lessening of the overall proposal,” the SCH said.

The Environment and Resources Authority is also objecting to the proposed extension into the ODZ for the development of a pool area.

The development is being proposed by Jessica Mizzi, who owns the site.