Government clears path for Caqnu’s Luqa development on land earmarked for social housing

Housing Minister Roderick Galdes has reached a deal with developer Charles Polidano ( iĊ-Ċaqnu) to enable a long-delayed construction project on government-owned land in Luqa. The agreement paves the way for Polidano to build a substantial apartment complex on a site formerly earmarked for social housing.

The land in question, spanning some 5,000 square metres and known as Tad-Dukkiena, has long been under the remit of the Housing Authority. In 2007, the Authority applied to develop the site into social housing units.

Polidano, who owns a smaller adjacent portion of the same plot, had already submitted an application in 2003 to construct a dozen apartments and garages.

However, development had stalled for over two decades due to overlapping claims and objections from the Housing Authority. Polidano’s plans partially encroached on government-held land, halting the permit process.

In 2024, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that the state-owned land would no longer be used for social housing. Instead, the site would be redeveloped by Project Green into a public garden.

While positioned as part of the government’s environmental agenda, the announcement effectively cleared the way for Polidano to proceed with his plans.

Since then, the housing minister has tabled a parliamentary resolution seeking approval for the formal transfer of public land to Polidano.

The resolution proposes transferring part of the Housing Authority’s land to the developer for under €600,000 and granting servitude rights, allowing Polidano to access public land to reach his development.

An internal valuation report commissioned by the government notes: “For the third party’s proposal to be realisable, the Housing Authority has to transfer some land/airspaces to the third party.”

A separate report by architect Dennis Camilleri of DHI Periti stated that the proposed development could not proceed without these land and access rights.

The site, once intended for social housing, is now being handed over to a private developer for a relatively modest sum, potentially enabling a large-scale residential project adjacent to what is meant to be a public green space.