Planning Authority set to approve another 7-storey block in Munxar

Munxar, just a stone’s throw away from the popular Xlendi Bay in Gozo, is set for yet another seven-storey apartment block.

The proposed development, set to be approved by the Planning Authority on Thursday, involves the demolition and excavation of a low-lying house and garage that would be replaced by street-level garages, 15 apartments and a penthouse, and adjacent pools.

In July, The Shift reported that the proposed development was being promoted for sale despite a lack of planning permits. The company promoting the development, Estates Direct, is located in Mercury Towers, the massive Paceville tower owned by Gozitan developer Joseph Portelli.

Officially, the planning application lists an individual named Joseph Bianco as the sole applicant. Manuela Mercieca is listed as the architect.

The Planning Authority has already recommended the apartment block for approval, in spite of the fact that the development plan involves the uptake of 8.5sqm of land which was supposed to be designated for a planned access road to service residents, among other issues.

Besides jutting out onto the planned access road’s footprint, the proposed development exceeds the allowable plot area by 54sqm, a 47% increase over the permitted 114sqm for the site.

The proposed height of the project exceeds the legal limit by 6m, raising concerns about the severely diminished light and space that is afforded to neighbouring residents. The site itself overlaps a protected landscape and an Area of High Landscape Value.

Despite these glaring issues and objections filed by state entities, such as the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, and members of the public, the Planning Authority’s case officer recommended approval, paving the way for further urban intensification in an area already subject to heavy development.

This is not the first time that Portelli has been linked to developments that are incongruous with the otherwise picturesque seaside locality.

In 2020, The Shift had exclusively revealed the involvement of Portelli and his associates in three large developments on the other side of Xlendi Bay.

Two weeks ago, Portelli’s representatives failed to appear at a Planning Authority hearing about one of these developments, infuriating objectors who had been patiently waiting to voice their concerns about the project.

The application concerns a 13-storey residential block comprising 46 units, a shop, and underground garages in a town where local plans do not permit towers exceeding 10 floors. The decision has now been deferred to 4 November.

While the three applications filed by the Gozitan developer and his associates appear to be part of separate developments on paper, the reality that the Planning Authority conveniently overlooks is that Portelli has repeatedly employed this practice to push through massive projects with less scrutiny.

Large projects require more impact assessments, and one major project is always easier to oppose than three “smaller” ones.