Jan 24 - DPC Approves Hospital Ramp Development
Members from the Development and Planning Commission (DPC) approved an outline planning application for a new development at 2 Hospital Ramp in the Upper Town.
The application was for four four-storey luxury townhouses, with one parking space each, an open patio area on street level and additional storage per house built within the air raid shelters.
The planning application had been rejected by members of the DPC on two previous occasions but this time the proposed height of the buildings was reduced by almost a third.
At a DPC meeting held in the Charles Hunt Room at the John Mackintosh Hall today, members heard from the architect Ruth Massias-Greenberg on behalf of the developers as well as from objectors Owen Smith and Mario Apap.
Ms Massias-Greenberg said the proposal was sensitive to the buildings around it and that the design contributed to the character of the Old Town, using heritage, accessibility and sustainability as the driving factors.
Both objectors commended the developers on their sympathetic design for the development of four jagged-roof homes but urged DPC members to refuse the application because of the height of the development.
Mr Apap urged the commission to refuse the application, adding that the developer’s strategy is to continue applying for planning permission until they get what they want.
Town Planner Paul Origo said the application should go ahead as there are a number of buildings in the Upper Town area that have been left vacant for a long time and are falling into disrepair.
Six members approved the outline planning application, subject to height restrictions, while five members abstained from voting.
Approval was also given to a proposed demolition at City Mill Lane, a proposed redevelopment of an existing building in Governor’s Street into 12 apartments was also given approval.
A proposed conversion of part-stores into residential accommodation, a new bin store for public use and small extension to the front of a building in Willis’s Road was approved subject to the conditions that accessibility to the bins is not blocked by the parking.
In addition, a the demolition of an existing two-storey dwelling in Engineer Road and subsequent building up of two four-storey houses with a roof terrace with swimming pool, toilets and pergola was given permission subject to a roof garden being incorporated into the full design submitted.
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