Qawra: Decision on flats above Roman tombs postponed

A decision on a planning permit request for a block of flats in Qawra has been postponed in the wake of archaeological findings.

The Planning Authority has requested its case officer to re-consult with the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) and update a report that had recommended approval.

The site is currently undergoing a major archaeological investigation following the discovery of Roman tombs.

The application was thus removed from the Planning Commission’s agenda on 7 April, pending the completion of the investigation.

The SCH has already confirmed the discovery of a “classical period quarry and late classical burial chamber” during an ongoing archaeological evaluation of the site in Qawra, along Triq il-Fugass.

Archaeological investigations are underway at the site where a Roman quarry and a burial chamber were found (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

“In view of the archaeological discoveries on site, the application has been withdrawn from the agenda… and the case officer has been requested to re-consult the SCH on the matter and update the DPA report,” a Planning Authority spokesperson told MaltaToday.

The site is located near Salina National Park, which has been earmarked for the development of a new apartment block.

According to the SCH, the investigation is ongoing “to identify the full extent of the archaeological features present.”  The heritage authority has also confirmed that current works on the site involving  “the removal of soil deposits down to bedrock” is part of the archaeological evaluation, which is being carried out under the constant supervision of qualified archaeologists.

The Planning Authority is currently assessing an application to demolish an existing dwelling and dilapidated structures, excavate the site, and construct 59 garages, a shop, and 47 residential units on the same site where the tomb and quarry were discovered. The development is being proposed by ACMUS Group, a company owned by Adrian Muscat and Tancred Mifsud.

In a report drafted in February, the Planning Authority’s case officer had recommended the project for approval, and a decision had been scheduled for 7 April.

However, the report made no mention of the archaeological remains in the area, only recommending that an archaeological investigation be conducted before construction begins.

This would have led to a situation where a planning commitment was made before the archaeological investigation was completed – an investigation that was bound to influence the project’s design and feasibility.

In a report issued in September 2024, before the start of the archaeological investigation, the SCH had already referred to the recorded presence of a classical-period catacomb directly adjacent to the site footprint, stressing that an archaeological investigation was necessary before development could proceed.