Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1495439
9 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 22 MARCH 2023 PA to decide on application to double size of Mellieha Bay Hotel JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority board will be meeting Thurs- day to decide on the proposed redevelopment of the Mellieħa Bay Hotel, whose footprint is set to double from 7,000 to 15,000 square metres, while the gross floor area will jump from 26,000 to 50,000sq.m. The project is being recom- mended for approval by the Planning Directorate. An Environmental Impact Assessment had conclud- ed that the project will re- sult in "major adverse im- pacts" from five different viewpoints, as well as from l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa and Torri l-Aħmar. The project will also result in the extrac- tion of over 122,000 cubic metres of excavation mate- rial. Following the EIA, the developers reduced the footprint of the project by 4,000sq.m, but the latest photomontages are only marginally different from the original when the EIA was conducted. Despite the negative visual impact, the project has al- ready been endorsed by the Environment and Resources Authority, which welcomed the restoration of 4,500sq.m presently occupied by ho- tel structures, to its original state, and the shifting of the development away from the coast. The hotel will increase beds from 313 to 359, with five restaurants, two bars and two pool bars, all spread across 11 interconnected blocks ranging from one to seven storeys. But the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage argued that the proposal exceeds the existing development in terms of volume, resulting in an increased negative impact on the surrounding land- scape in comparison to the existing hotel. The PA's own Design Advi- sory Committee (DAC) also expressed concern about the increase in height and the extent of the proposed hotel vis-à-vis the existing build- ing, which has "a considera- ble impact on its surround- ings" and "on the disparity caused by the different styles and materials being pro- posed". While acknowledging the conclusions of the EIA and the replies by the SCH and DAC, on the impact on the landscape character of the area the case officer justified the favourable recommen- dation on a number of other considerations. One of these considerations is that the proposal seeks the upgrade of an existing pre- 1968 hotel to the modern standards to conform with guidelines set by the Malta Tourism Authority. Moreo- ver, the development is being proposed on an area desig- nated for restrained devel- opment in the local plan and on land already committed by previous permits and on already disturbed land. The new scheme will reduce the gross floor area lying outside the Area for Retrained Rede- velopment; and will restore 4,488sq.m on the foreshore and an area on the north of the site, which is scheduled as Level 3 Area of Ecological Importance. Case officer recommends approval overruling objections by Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and PA design advisory panel Wireline overlay (above) of proposed development compared to existing view (top) Wireline overlay (above) of proposed development compared to existing view (top)