Luqa development grows to 144 dwellings after owners ‘split’ project

‘Piecemeal’ applications are being filed by developers eyeing a green area inside Luqa’s development zones after the Planning Authority ignored opposition from the local council and NGOs.

Developers Gap Holdings are resorting to individual applications to develop a green area inside Luqa after the PA opened the floodgates last year by approving two previous applications.

In 2016, GAP presented five different applications to develop the site, three of which were withdrawn after objections from the Environment and Resources Authority. The ERA initially requested information to assess whether an environmental impact assessment was required in view of the proposed development in all the five separately presented applications.

Following the withdrawal of the three other applications, the ERA confirmed that a downsized development did not qualify for an EIA. Transport Malta, which had also initially called for a traffic impact assessment, also withdrew its demand.

But by withdrawing the three applications, the developer could still apply on the remaining sites – which are owned by GAP – at some future date.

The environmental NGO Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar and the Luqa local council had claimed the developers were resorting to piecemeal applications instead of presenting one comprehensive application, which would have obliged them to retain some open spaces.

So, in March 2017, GAP filed two applications for 75 new dwelling units, which were approved by the PA board.

Now new applications are being presented on the remaining open spaces. One of these, filed by GAP owner George Muscat in November 2017, foresees the uprooting of trees and rubble walls to erect 19 new dwellings.

The application was presented on a bigger site that was originally earmarked for 31 dwellings when it was withdrawn in 2016. The site lies back to back with houses and gardens located in Luqa’s urban conservation area, and would create very high blank party walls rising four storeys.

Another application for 19 dwellings has been filed, for the remaining part of the area on which a previous application was withdrawn. This means that 38 dwellings are now being proposed on a site where 31 dwellings were originally proposed last year.

Two other separate applications, one by Emanuel Cortis and another by Elton Deguara, for 53 dwellings on another site where GAP had previously withdrawn another application, have also been filed.

So development is now foreseen on plots not originally earmarked in the GAP development.

Two other applications were filed along Triq l-Iskola by Ludwig Camilleri’s P&JC Company, for 44 new dwellings along the same road. Nine other dwellings are being proposed by another owner on a neighbouring site.

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar has blaming the Planning Authority for “choking” Luqa’s last green lung as hundreds of apartments are being approved “through piecemeal applications on the only tract of open space near the village core and the Luqa Primary school.”