Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1534889
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 APRIL 2025 2 JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Tribunal revokes permit for 31-floor hotel at Fort Cambridge, raps PA for ignoring development brief A 24-year-old man from Żabbar was granted bail by the court after pleading not guilty to being found in possession of 70 grams of can- nabis and a small amount of co- caine. At the start of the sitting, the man, who is currently still a stu- dent, was hysterical but his lawyers told him to get a hold of himself and focus on what was happening. The prosecution explained how on 27 April, a car crash occurred in front of the St Julians Police station. The accused was driving one of the vehicles involved in the crash and upon the police ap- proaching the accident, they were alerted by strong whiff of canna- bis emerging from his car. After a search, it resulted that the accused was in possession of around 70g of cannabis and a small amount of cocaine. Upon his lawyer requesting bail, the prosecution objected due to the accused's uncooperative and stubborn character. The prosecu- tion also argued that the man has already been involved in other in- cidents where he drove without a licence. His defence lawyers argued that if his client were to remain ar- rested, nothing would change as everything was documented on the body cameras of the police officers involved. Moreover, he also informed the court that the accused's mother was offering to act as a third party guaruantee for her son. Magistrate Micallef Yana Sta- frace adressed the accused and told him "Do you know how fortu- nate you are?" and ordered him to look back at his devestated, crying family members. "You're acting like a child, not a man. You need to grow up and mature" she warned him as she granted him bail against a €20,000 personal guaruantee and several conditions. The defence also requested a ban on the publication of names and the court accepted . Prosecution was led by Inspector Roderick. The man was represent- ed by defence lawyers Arthur Azz- opardi and Jacob Magri. MAYA GALEA mgalea@mediatoday.com.mt Police find 70g of cannabis after accused crashes car in front of police station Unauthorised visitors to Blue Lagoon may be subject to a fine THE Environment and Planning Review Tribunal has revoked the permit for a 31-storey hotel development on the ex-military barracks site at Fort Cambridge, Tigné. The tribunal also rapped the Planning Authority for ignoring the development brief regulating development in this specific area. The PA relied solely on the Height Adjustment Policy, which permits hotels to exceed the height limitations set in the local plan but completely overlooked the brief that limits development on the site to the existing four floors. Additionally, despite the brief limiting floor space to 5,680sq.m, the PA had approved a devel- opment with a floor space of 25,600sq.m. The tribunal has now ordered the PA to reconsider the case and issue a new case officer report evaluating the project on the basis of the development brief. Moreover, the authority failed to show how a 31-storey tower "would respond positively to the surrounding context in terms of scale and height." The development of the hotel had been approved by 8 votes to 1 in July 2023. The project is being proposed by GAP Ltd, which in 2007 was selected to develop Tigné's Fort Cambridge according to the spec- ifications of a development brief. The Fort Cambridge officers' mess, whose façade was to be re- tained, was built between 1903 and 1905. The conversion of the barracks into a hotel in the 1980s resulted in the removal of the main porch on the north façade, and the conversion of existing rooms into double bedrooms. But most of the building's external fabric remained intact. The PA's own Fort Cambridge Development Brief, approved in January 2006, described the bar- racks as a "landmark building" to be retained due to its historical and architectural importance, serving as a buffer between new, higher development and the sur- rounding residential blocks. "No additional floors over the third floor will be allowed over this landmark building," the brief concluded. The appeal was presented by Moviment Graffitti, Din l-Art Helwa and a number of residents, who were represented by lawyer Claire Bonello. The Fort Cambridge hotel (second tower from left) was approved in 2023 but the planning tribunal has revoked the permit CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Visitors can book one of three daily time slots: 8am-1pm, 1:30pm-5:30pm and 6pm-10pm. Visitors have to provide their basic details and an email address, after which the booking system will create a QR code that can be presented to officials at the site's coastal and land access points. Visitors will also be given a wristbad depending on the time slot booked. Unauthorised visitors may be subject to a fine. However, officials will be on site during the first few weeks to help visitors who may not yet be fa- miliar with the booking process. According to the MTA, in summer 2024 up to 12,000 people were at the Blue Lagoon at any one time. This system will limit the number of visitors to a maximum of 4,000. The MTA said this is one of the first actions spearheaded by Team Blue Lagoon, which also includes the tourism ministry, Gozo ministry, Transport Malta, ERA, the police, LESA and the Civil Protection Department. The first phase of the project, which will roll out in summer 2025, will also include safer and extended swimming zones, improved waste man- agement, more sanitation facilities and better en- forcement. The MTA and the tourism ministry will also launch stakeholder consultations on other long- term protection and rehabilitation measures. 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