Għargħur council, residents appeal ODZ permit

Għargħur local council and a group of residents have filed an appeal over a permit granted to convert dilapidated rooms into a two-storey dwelling with a swimming pool and surrounding deck area in a cultivated field.

The project in Sqaq Charlotte, most of which is in ODZ, was given the green light in February but two appeals were filed against it.

The permit was granted despite objections by, among others, Din L-Art Ħelwa which insisted the construction should not extend beyond the ODZ boundary and that the dilapidated rooms had historical value and should therefore be restored. The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage did not oppose the proposal.

This project will see the dismantling of dilapidated rooms which have a corrugated roof and the subsequent excavation to construct a two-car garage at basement level, with dwelling on ground floor and first floor. It will also include the dismantling of rubble walls and their reconstruction using the same stone as well as the construction of a swimming pool with an underlying reservoir and a surrounding deck area not exceeding 75 square metres.

The site is located at the end of Sqaq Charlotte and lies partly within the Urban...