Police station to poolside guesthouse? FAA objects to Birkirkara plan

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) is objecting to plans to turn Birkirkara’s police station into a guesthouse with a rooftop swimming pool, warning that the proposed additions could damage the character of the town’s historic centre.

Planning application PA/03685/26 seeks to convert the building into a Class 3A guesthouse. It also proposes alterations, extensions, restoration of the façade and construction of a pool at roof level.

FAA said the building is a familiar feature of Birkirkara’s streetscape and that its conversion should be assessed in the context of the surrounding historic buildings. It singled out the extensions and rooftop pool as particular concerns because of their potential effect on the area’s character and roofscape.

The organisation said it supports sensitive restoration and the continued use of historic buildings, but argued that a new use should respect both the property and its surroundings. It also urged planners to consider residents’ needs, community services and the cumulative effect of converting properties in traditional towns and villages into tourist accommodation.

The application has raised a separate question: what happens to the police station if the building changes use?

The station serves as headquarters for a police district covering more than 70,000 people across Birkirkara and six other localities. The Nationalist Party has called on the government to say whether the station will remain in Birkirkara and, if it moves, where it will operate.

The Police Force did not comment as constitutional proceedings concerning the property are ongoing. No relocation plan had been announced at the time of that report.

FAA is calling on members of the public to submit objections to the planning application, saying each one will help show the level of concern about the proposal.