The Christ the King Basilica in Paola has been cleared to open a ground-floor café after the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) overturned the Planning Authority’s refusal of the project.In a decision issued on 23rd July, the tribunal ordered the Planning Authority to issue the permit within 30 days, ruling that the proposed cafeteria would improve the site’s visual quality by replacing three existing garages with a new freestanding structure.The project also includes a multi-level interpretation centre inside the basilica’s two bell towers, featuring exhibition spaces across six levels and a rooftop observation deck.The Planning Authority had originally refused the application, arguing the café would negatively impact what it believed was a Grade 1 scheduled building. However, the tribunal found that this was based on a factual error, noting the basilica is not classified as a Grade 1 scheduled building.The ruling also gave significant weight to the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, which backed the revised plans after the original proposal for a rooftop café, criticised by Prime Minister Robert Abela as a “non-starter”, was scrapped in favour of a ground-floor facility.The permit now paves the way for the adaptive reuse project to move forward after months of revisions and planning disputes.What do you think of the plans for the basilica?•