PA zones Żabbar fields for dwellings proposed by Polidano

Construction magnate Charles Polidano will be able to develop a 3,360sq.m plot of Żabbar agricultural land into a series of terraced dwellings, after the Planning Authority approved a zoning request.

The site along Triq ix-Xghajra and Triq Agatha Barbara, which overlooks farmland between Żabbar and Xgħajra, was included within development boundaries in the controversial extension of building zones carried out in 2006.

The zoning permit sets the parameters of the development, to now allow the developer to present an application to develop the site.

Despite being earmarked for development in the 2006 extension, the site was until then still designated as a ‘Strategic Open Gap’, and therefore excluded urban development. But this designation was overruled by the inclusion of the area in development zones.

An existing vernacular building located on the northern part of the site will be retained as recommended by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, which had strongly objected to initial plans to demolish it. Additionally, a 3m-wide garden along the southern side, and a 3.9m-wide garden along the east, will serve as buffers between the developable part of the site and the non-developable zone (ODZ), ensuring that no blank party walls face the latter part.

The zoning was approved on the condition that the height of the development is restricted to a façade of 10m high, equivalent to two storeys and a semi-basement, as specified in the local plan. However, the development could rise to 13.5m if a recessed floor is included.

The PA’s case officer said any decision on additional set-back floors and the design of the project can only be made following the submission of a full planning application, when more detailed plans are presented.

In December 2023, the developer’s architect had presented a set of photomontages showing dwellings characterised by traditional Maltese balconies, rising to three full floors and two set-back floors.