Santa Venera council objects to Portelli project

The Santa Venera local council is objecting to a development project consisting of retail outlets and 33 dwellings proposed by CF Homes Limited in the locality.

The company is partly owned by construction magnate Joseph Portelli and plans to develop an 840sq.m site along St Joseph High Road and Triq Abela in Santa Venera.

The project which is being objected to by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage for aesthetic reasons, consists of seven retail shops and two maisonettes at ground level, and 31 residential apartments on the three upper floors.

Reacting to an article published by MaltaToday last week, the council said in a statement it was concerned on the traffic impact the project will have.

The council informed the public that it had first discussed the project in a meeting held in May, during which all councillors had expressed concern on the negative impact of the project on this residential area.

The council is particularly concerned about the increase in traffic in the area, which it fears will result in congestion in Triq Abela, especially in the existing cul-de-sac where motorists already experience difficulties in manoeuvring.

The council is calling on the Authority to ensure the proposed development is downscaled as far as possible to minimise the inconvenience to present and future residents living there.

Architect Maria Schembri Grima’s plans suggest that the new building’s recessed floor will rise above a row of uniform two-storey townhouses dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Additionally, it will introduce a bulky, elongated, and unbroken façade that contrasts with the rhythm of a street still predominantly characterized by these old townhouses. But the building will rise to the same height as an unsightly building found on the left of the excavated site.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has also expressed concern on the visual impact of the project, fearing that this will create “a precedent for further inappropriate development” in the area, potentially impacting surrounding buildings. The heritage watchdog described the project as “totally out of scale and out of character” with the traditional streetscape.

The application originally envisioned the development of a bank branch at ground level and three levels of residential apartments and was first presented by the Bank of Valletta which declared owning the site in 2023. The application was later amended, with changes to both the applicant and the architect.

Previously, Bank of Valletta applied in 2019 to develop four levels of offices on the same site. This application, featuring a more contemporary design, was subsequently withdrawn.