PA tightens Qrendi development limits amid public pressure

The Planning Authority has ordered tighter limits on a proposed residential development behind Qrendi primary school, amid mounting public pressure over construction in the village.

Its Executive Council deferred planning control application PC/59/20 for six weeks, requiring revised drawings that restrict building height, retain green space and safeguard views towards the church.

The decision does not amount to approval. The authority said failure to submit the required drawings within the deadline would lead to refusal.

The move follows public anger in a staunch Labour district over development pressures in Qrendi.

Last month, residents and activists interrupted a garden inauguration attended by Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, appealing for help and warning that further construction would permanently alter the village’s skyline and countryside.

Organised by Leħen il-Qrendi, the protest reflected wider concerns about excessive development.

Reporting on the demonstration prominently concerned a separate planning application, PC/53/26, making the school-site proposal part of a broader controversy over the locality’s future.

For PC/59/20, the council stipulated an absolute height ceiling of 118.5 metres above mean sea level, matching the existing school building.

The developable portion must be designated for residential use, with the remainder retained as green space.

An archaeological study must precede any works. Revised plans must also provide a suitable transition to neighbouring surroundings and protect church views from the rear of the site.

An earlier version envisaged five-storey development and a new access road, drawing concerns about its bulk beside the school.