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An appeal is expected to be heard this week over the Planning Authority’s refusal to allow the development of six townhouses at a 400-year-old garden in the heart of Lija. The developer filed the appeal after the Planning Authority last December turned dowAppeal over plan to develop 17th-century Lija garden to be heard this week
An appeal is expected to be heard this week over the Planning Authority’s refusal to allow the development of six townhouses at a 400-year-old garden in the heart of Lija. The developer filed the appeal after the Planning Authority last December turned down his request to demolish the large garden on the corner of Triq Annibale Preca in Lija and Triq Sant’Antnin in Balzan. The refusal came following a storm of objections over the plans. The application would have seen the excavation of the 17th-century garden measuring around 920 square metres, including protected citrus trees and garden rubble walls, to create eight basement garages and six two-storey townhouses with swimming pools. All of the proposed dwellings are four-bedroom units, having a gross floor area exceeding 200 square metres. Alterations to the existing townhouse, which includes baroque-period architectural features, were also mentioned in the application. The applicant not only filed an appeal but also submitted fresh plans that reduced the number of proposed townhouses to three. However, the garden itself will still be taken over, particularly with swimming pools. Sources close to the industry said this was an... Read more