Farsons exclude high-rise at Mriehel

There is no link between the government’s decision to include Mriehel as a zone for high-rise buildings and the Farson’s business park project. 

MaltaToday is reliably informed that the business park proposed by Farsons will consist of 4 to 5 storey blocks.

Mriehel was included by stealth as one of the zones where buildings of over 10 storeys can be located in the approved policy document regulating building heights.

No reference was made to Mriehel in the original document issued for public consultation in November. This meant that the public, NGOs and stakeholders had no chance to comment on the choice of Mriehel as a site for high-rise office buildings.

The government’s inclusion of Mriehel coincided with plans by Farsons to construct a business park on the site of the Old Brewhouse and former Packaging Halls in Mriehel, even if the plans published by the company do not foresee high-rise development.

MaltaToday is now informed that Farsons has no intention to change its plans in the wake of the government’s decision to allow over 10 storey buildings in this central locality.

The project proposed by Farsons envisions 50,000 square metres of commercial space anchored by Grade A offices, together with complementary retail, leisure, cultural and social facilities. According to Farsons the project will set new spatial, environmental and technical standards for “green” buildings in Malta.

Planning ombudsman David Pace has reprimanded government for including Imriehel in the absence of any public consultation.

“The inclusion of Mriehel in the approved zones where the policy is applicable, should have been put to public consultation prior to the final approval by the MEPA board,” the planning ombudsman told MaltaToday.

The two leading heritage NGOs, Din l-Art Helwa and Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar have called on the government to remove any reference to Mriehel from the approved policy.

The two organisations have called for a separate public consultation process to be carried out on whether or not Mriehel should become a location for high-rise buildings.

MEPA included Mriehel to the list of localities where high-rise buildings may be permitted on the government’s request. No official submission was made by any developer from the area in the consultation process.