Controversial St Julian’s residential development set for approval

A controversial residential development in Spinola in the open space between Villa Friere and the St Julian's Church is being recommended for approval by MEPA's Planning Directorate.

The fate of the project, the planning application of which dates back to 2002, will be decided by the MEPA board on 8 March - a few days before local council elections in the locality. Residents of the area had objected to the development in the past years.

The development envisions the development of commercial ground floor units and 21 overlying apartments. The building heights are set at four floors and an additional receded floor from highest site level on the public stairway. The building will step down to the front of the site facing Spinola square with three floors. The total building height from the piazza will be equivalent to seven floors. The project also envisions the restoration of Villa Friere. But part of the villa's garden will be taken up by the development. 

One of the proposals considered in the past was a joint project between the applicant and the Curia in which the applicant's site was going to be integrated into the existing church car park and parvis.

But according to the report despite positive discussions between both parties, the integration of the two sites was unsuccessful and the applicant went back to the original concept of developing his own site independently from that of the Curia.

The local plan limits building heights in the area to three floors but the case officer's report still claims it is in line with the Local Plan's parameters for land use and building height "while protecting the visual integrity of the existing scheduled villa and nearby parish church."