One Of Sliema’s Most Popular Landmarks Stands To Be Radically Changed
Nestled up the road from the bustling Sliema waterfront lies a small, triangular traffic island with a large tree and a red phone-booth. Just in front of it, a gorgeous two-storey villa stands as a reminder of Sliema’s old village core. The area, known as tat-Tlett Siġriet, might just be a small intersection shrouded in daily shade, but it’s become an iconic landmark for both locals and anyone trying to navigate the numerous narrow roads of Sliema.
Now, the area is set for a development that is set to change tat-Tlett Siġriet for good.
This is not the first time that the area’s development made it to headlines.
Back in 2011, numerous applications to develop a block of flats on the site of Villa Degiorgio had already been refused. One of the major reasons for refusal was the villa’s large back garden, which is actually regarded as one of Sliema’s “green lung” open spaces. This, of course, is fundamental to the character of an urban conservation area, which the villa belongs to. “The decision is very screwed up,” developer Philip Degiorgio had told The Times of Malta seven years ago. “If I were building more storeys, it would make sense.” Three years later, a then newly-set up PA review tribunal approved the internal demolition of the villa in 2016. The redevelopment included the construction of eight apartments over three storeys.
Fast forward a couple of years, and many people are still voicing their opinions on the matter. In fact, just last week, the Sliema Local Council expressed oppositionto the development. “Considering that this application is identical to other applications which were refused, this application should not even be considered by the Planning Authority,” the council said, going on to claim that the proposal is in breach of regulations on design that were approved back in 2015. This was only amplified by the fact that, since the development was green-lit by PA’s review tribunal in 2016, another storey was also added to the mix.
Over half a decade of to-and-fros later, Maltese NGO Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, along with a group of concerned citizens, have come together to sign an online petition demanding the halting of the villa’s demolition. At the time of writing, over 2,000 representations have already been sent, but the FAA are pushing for even more.
“This is your chance to stop the demolition of Villa Degiorgio and protect the iconic area known as tat-Tlett Siġriet in Sliema,” FAA wrote on its official website.
“Standing along a well-preserved, predominantly 2-storey street in Sliema’s Urban Conservation Area, FAA maintains that this development runs counter to various planning policies and must be REFUSED by the Planning Authority,” the NGO stated.