Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537233
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 JULY 2025 NEWS No environmental assessment report needed for ODZ Busbesija hotel A wellness retreat planned for a disused military site in Busbesija will proceed without a full Environmental Impact Assessment, after ERA ruled its effects 'unlikely to be significant' THE environment watchdog has ruled that no impact assessment is required for a proposed tourism development at Busbesija, on the outskirts of Mosta, de- spite its sensitive location. The development on the site of a dis- used military site next to Mount St Jo- seph, a retreat house, is outside the de- velopment zone and borders two areas of High Landscape Value. But the Environment and Resourc- es Authority (ERA), concluded that the project's environmental impacts are "un- likely to be significant" and can be man- aged through standard planning condi- tions. It thus excluded the project from the requirement to have an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As a result, no further studies or public consultation under the EIA process are required. This means the developers will not need to submit detailed environmental assessments, including the so-called ze- ro option, an evaluation of the impact of not carrying out the project. Nor will the public be able to propose issues for investigation or respond to findings, as typically occurs during the EIA process. The decision reflects a trend since the 2018 legal changes, which have led to a decline in EIAs and a greater reliance on early-stage screening. The Busbesija project The project, proposed by GP Borg Ltd, involves converting a disused British-era military site into a 30-room wellness re- treat, including a restaurant, bar, spa, and six glamping tents. It will also fea- ture private terraces, pools, and exten- sive landscaping. Ten of the 11 existing stone huts will be restored and repurposed into 15 ac- commodation units with private terraces and pools. A new underground struc- ture will house a further 15 rooms and a spa, while a lower level will include an indoor pool, multipurpose space, reser- voir, and plant room. Six glamping tents and a communal pool are planned for a landscaped area currently used as agri- cultural land. The development includes 13 surface parking spaces at the site entrance and 24 more in an underground facility. The 7,000sq.m site lies along Triq ta' Piru, adjacent to Mount St Joseph Retreat House. It contains Second World War-era structures, including limestone huts and a mess hall formerly used by the British Royal Engineers. These will be carefully dismantled, stored, and reconstructed using the original stone. Although the site borders the Chad- wick Lakes and Victoria Lines Areas of High Landscape Value, ERA found it is not directly within their area of influence and assessed the project's visual foot- print as limited. Environmental impact and ERA Conditions According to the Project Description Statement (PDS) submitted by the devel- opers, excavation will generate around 90,000 cubic metres of inert waste. The development will also result in the per- manent loss of agricultural land to make way for the communal pool and land- scaping. The PDS, compiled by AIS En- vironment, acknowledges this as a "ma- jor adverse" impact but claims that the design, incorporating terracing and na- tive planting, will help the project inte- grate into the rural landscape. ERA's screening report echoed this view, stating that the proposed develop- ment, based on the form and height of the existing structures, would not signif- icantly affect the surrounding landscape character. It recommended the use of traditional rubble walls and indigenous plants for landscaping. To reduce light pollution, ERA stipu- lated that all outdoor lighting must be low-level, fully cut-off, and confined within site boundaries. Traffic-relat- ed air quality and noise impacts were deemed negligible due to the project's limited scale. The site was transferred to GP Borg Ltd in July 2020 through a parliamentary resolution passed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 45-year lease was grant- ed at an annual ground rent of €31,000 following a 2015 call for expressions of interest. A prior proposal to develop a shooting range on the site was shelved after public opposition. The developers describe the project as a "modern sanctuary nestled in nature", targeting wellness-focused travellers. Project proponents GP Borg Holdings Limited, a ready-mix concrete suppli- er, have in recent years diversified their portfolio. The company is currently de- veloping a new hotel overlooking Mar- samxett in Valletta and was awarded a Labour Party-issued tender to restore and operate the Rialto Theatre in Borm- la. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Plans for the site in Busbesija