Pietà tourist accommodation plans turned down

The Planning Commission has turned down a proposal to develop tourist accommodation in Pietà, after NGOs objected to what they felt was a "disproportionate" development. Read: ‘Best-preserved enclave in Pietà at risk’ The two-storey house that would have been partly demolished to make way for the development lies in a stepped alleyway off the Pietà marina, close to a number of scheduled properties, including the Grade 1 listed Villa Frère. The application included the demolition of part of the existing building with an outdoor pool and snack area behind the property on Sqaq Nru 3, Triq ix-Xatt. eNGO Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar welcomed the refusal, saying that the extension would have created a four-storey blank party wall towering above the Msida marina, ruining all views towards and around this distinct street. "This disproportionate development would have even blocked views of the protected Grade 1 St Luke’s Hospital that presently sits distinctly atop the Guardamangia hill, an iconic vista worthy of protection in itself," it said.