Planning Board approves redevelopment of former Buskett Forest Aparthotel into elderly care home<\/p>\n
The Planning Board has approved the redevelopment of the vacant Buskett Forest Aparthotel at Ta’ Sabbat, Dingli, into a Class 2A elderly care home, a Planning Authority statement said.<\/p>\n
The project involves demolishing the existing aparthotel and replacing it with a 54-room care facility accommodating up to 100 residents.<\/p>\n
It will include dedicated accommodation for persons with dementia, a pharmacy, multipurpose hall, cafeteria, kitchen, staff facilities, swimming pool, landscaped outdoor areas, a roof garden and a 40 car-parking spaces.<\/p>\n
The site is already occupied by a substantial vacant building. The approved development will replace this structure without extending onto the adjoining agricultural land.<\/p>\n
The approved footprint, height, floorspace and volume remain within the development parameters established for the site through a previous outline permit.<\/p>\n
During the assessment process, the proposal was revised and reduced in scale.<\/p>\n
Setbacks, terraces, verandas and landscaped areas were introduced at different levels to break up the building’s massing and help it integrate more effectively with its rural surroundings.<\/p>\n
The statement said that the landscaping scheme includes indigenous trees and planting intended to reduce the building’s visual prominence.<\/p>\n
Given the site’s proximity to the Natura 2000 area of L-Inħawi tal-Buskett u tal-Girgenti, the proposal was subject to an Appropriate Assessment.<\/p>\n
Following its assessment of the revised plans, the Environment and Resources Authority concluded that the development is not expected to have a significant adverse effect on the surrounding environment or the integrity of the protected site, provided that the stipulated mitigation measures are implemented.<\/p>\n
The permit restricts the development exclusively to use as a single elderly care facility. A public deed between the applicant and the Planning Authority will secure these limitations and the maximum development parameters applicable to the site.<\/p>\n
The adjoining land must retain its open agricultural character, with no additional development rights granted through this permission, the statement said.<\/p>\n