Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1521709
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JUNE 2024 NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT OF TWO CALLS FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS UNDER The European Regional Development Fund 2021-2027 The Ministry responsible for European Funds would like to announce that it is launching two calls for project proposals in the following area: Priority 1: PO 1 - A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity RSO1.2 – Reaping the benefits of digitalisation for citizens, companies, research organisations and public authorities (ERDF) The calls shall target investments as indicated below: Call 19 shall focus on the Digitalisation of Public Administration and Entities; Call 20 shall focus on the Digitalisation of the Health sector. These calls shall be open to Ministries, Government Departments and Public Sector entities and shall close on 30 th September 2024 at 16:00. The online application form for the submission of project proposals and supporting documentation are available on https://fondi.eu/what-funding-is-available/ . Prospective applicants are encouraged to refer to the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the Just Transition Fund Programme and the Eligibility Guidance Notes to confirm whether their proposals are eligible for funding through these two calls for project proposals. Further information on these calls and other calls may be obtained from https://fondi.eu/. Queries should be sent via email on fondi.eu@gov.mt. A dedicated information session is being organised on Tuesday, 11 th June at 14:30 at the Servizzi Ewropej f'Malta offices – 280, Republic Street, Valletta. For further details, please access the QR code below. DESPITE studies pointing at an over-supply of hotel accommodation, applications for small hotels keep pil- ing up on the Planning Authority's caseload. A 27-room guesthouse for Marsax- lokk, proposed next to the Labour Par- ty club, will lead to the demolition of a dilapidated, characterisctic townhouse on the main village's thoroughfare. The three-floor guesthouse will rise higher than neighbouring properties, while remaining level with some other buildings on the same street. Another 18-room guesthouse on two adjacent properties, is being proposed by Daniel Zahra near the Ferretti res- taurant along Triq San Gorg in Birzeb- bugia, with the addition of a new floor. In 2020 the PA had already approved an application to make way for three new residential units and a shop, to regularise the previous demolition of part of the existing building and al- low the internal demolition of one the buildings. The internal demolition was ap- proved by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage in view of the build- ing's dilapidated state. Works on this project were stopped by the Building and Construction Authority last year after infringements were noted. THE Superintendence for Cultur- al Heritage has expressed "notable concerns" on a proposed cafeteria atop the Paola church's rooftop and is objecting to the proposal "as currently presented". In its feedback to the Planning Authority on the controversial café proposed as part of an interpreta- tion centre at the parish church's belfrey, the Superintendence an- nounced that it had engaged in "advanced discussions" with the Paola church and the Kummissjo- ni Patrimonju Kulturali tal-Knisja (KPKK) to "agree on a way for- ward". Christ the King parish priest An- drea Camilleri faced public uproar after MaltaToday revealed plans for a restaurant and an outside seating and bar area on the roof between the two belfry towers. Subsequently, new plans identify- ing the establishment as a cafeteria, and not a restaurant, were submit- ted. The new plans retain the out- side tables but exclude any cooking on site. Interviewed by this newspaper in April, the parish priest insisted that the proposed chairs and tables will not have any negative aesthetic impact because they were not per- manent structures and would not even be visible from street level. However, the parish priest made it clear that the whole aim of the application is to get a clear idea of what can be permitted or not on this site. "We will be abiding with what authorities like the Super- intendence for Cultural Heritage will tell us," he reassured parish- ioners. Camilleri argued that the pro- posed cafeteria is just a small part of a project to make full use of six rooms atop each other in each bel- fry, set to include a museum and an interpretation centre. "The cafete- ria is the least important aspect of this project," he said while adding that this is only meant to recoup some of the enormous costs to maintain the church property. Heritage watchdog says no to Paola church café but in talks on way forward Guesthouses for south pile up on PA caseload JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt