Government seeks permit for Birgu regatta’s restaurant

The government has stepped in to apply for the construction of a restaurant on top of the Birgu regatta club, despite previous objections by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage with regard to its negative impact on the bastions.

The club wants to add an extra storey to its premises, which is located on government land, and increase heights by 3.2 metres. A small service room is also being proposed on top of the roof.

The application envisages the demolition of an illegal extension at ground level and a small reduction in the height of the existing ground floor.

The application was presented by Nadia Gatt Curmi, the director of the project design and engineering unit within the Infrastructure Ministry.

In 2015, the Birgu local council withdrew an application to add a new storey to the club after its application was shot down by the heritage watchdog. According to the Superintendence, the proposed increase in height and volume in the immediate vicinity of the harbour fortifications would have resulted in a high visual impact “that will negatively impact the existing landscape value of the harbour fortification area.”

In 2016 the Planning Authority approved a small one-metre increase to create space for a conference hall proposed by the local council. This limited increase in height was deemed acceptable by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage which had objected to earlier plans.