A 19th-century townhouse in the heart of Sliema has been saved the chop after the developer who proposed its demolition had a change of heart and is now proposing its restoration. However, plans to replace its mature garden with a seven-storey block of apartments remain in the balance after the Planning Commission on Friday sent the developer back to the drawing board. The commission was considering application PA/09273/19 which sought permission to demolish the existing house and construct a complex of 32 garages, 18 apartments, three penthouses and four offices over the site which included the garden. As the planning application was being heard, commission chairman Martin Camilleri said that following a site inspection, it concurred with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage that the historic house and its belvedere overlooking the mature garden had significant architectural importance and had to be conserved in its entirety. He observed that the proposed development on Manuel Dimech and Parisio streets did not provide an adequate building height transition from the urban conservation area. The proposed project was recommended for approval, with the case officer saying that...
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