Proposal To Reopen Sliema Petrol Station Raises Environmental And Legal Concerns
Recently filed planning applications aim to reopen and expand the disused Speedy Petrol Station on Tower Road, Sliema, and the proposal is raising eyebrows across the town.
Owned by Sliema Service Station Ltd, the project would see the station upgraded to include a shop and office space, a canopy fitted with solar panels, and the installation of underground fuel tanks, all at the expense of cutting into the promenade and removing a row of trees behind the site.
This marks a revival of an earlier permit (PA/03730/14) that was granted but never built. The new application, titled PA/03585/25, includes demolition and excavation to install the tanks and extends further onto public space. Architect Wallace Farrugia has led the redesign, which also puts pressure on the locally cherished tree-lined section of the seafront.
Opposition was swift. Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg urged locals via social media to submit objections by the week’s end, noting around 40 representations have already been lodged. His concerns echo broader community unease over increased traffic, pollution risks, fuel spill hazards (especially with the station overlooking a public beach), noise, as well as potential policy breaches.
Buttigieg also highlighted that the proposal would violate PA regulations prohibiting fuel pumps within residential zones and within 150 m of churches, two of which are situated nearby: a Carmelite convent and the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The issue isn’t new. A similar proposal to reopen a kerbside fuel station just up the road was recently rejected by the PA and then confirmed by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT), with officials citing risks of increased traffic, emissions, and urban congestion.
Critics argue the proposed reopening undermines Sliema’s seafront appeal and hinders tourism-friendly redevelopment. Some comparisons have been made with another application that was quashed last year, reinforcing the PA’s growing emphasis on relocating fuel infrastructure away from dense urban and recreational zones.
With this contest back in the spotlight, the Planning Authority now faces a crucial decision: prioritise sustainable urban development and public space preservation, or greenlight the fuel station’s revival, canopy, shop, office space, and all.
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