Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1540988
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 NOVEMBER 2025 NEWS NOW OPEN www.reallygreatsite.com www.nscmalta.gov.mt A pilot project connecting educators of applied vocational subjects with businesses through industry micro-placements, ensuring vocational education reflects real-world skills. CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Massive extension proposed for Paradise Bay Hotel THE Paradise Bay Hotel, located in one of Malta's most pictur- esque coastal areas, has submit- ted plans for a massive exten- sion, planning documents show. The proposed expansion of the hotel at the northern-most tip of Malta would increase the number of rooms from the ex- isting 275 to 507. If approved, the develop- ment would increase the ho- tel's built-up footprint from 8,251sq.m to 9,498sq.m and its gross floor area from 29,826sq.m to 70,220sq.m. The architectural plans and pho- tomontages were drawn up by Demicoli & Associates. The expansion would be achieved through the addition of two new floors to the hotel's existing west wing and other structural modifications, in- cluding the demolition of the east wing, excavation works, and the construction of new facilities—including an under- ground parking area, reservoirs, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, back-of-house facilities, extensive soft landscaping, a water park, restaurants, a mul- tipurpose hall, an auditorium, and guest suites. Situated along the foreshore overlooking the Gozo Chan- nel, the hotel grounds border both an Area of Ecological Im- portance and an Area of High Landscape Value. ERA calls for downsized plans Given the site's environmen- tal sensitivity, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has raised serious concerns about the project, particular- ly the significant increase in built mass. The extent of exca- vations planned near the cliff edge, an area known for its im- portant geological deposits, is also of concern. ERA also flagged potential light pollution and the expan- sion of dominant development closer to the protected natural area to the east. In light of these concerns, the authority stated that "the proposal cannot cur- rently be supported from an environmental point of view and is to be downscaled to ad- dress the concerns raised." Although the project requires an Environmental Impact As- sessment (EIA) due to its scale and location, ERA warned that such studies are unlikely to overcome its current objec- tions. The authority has there- fore urged the developer to re- duce the project's scope before the EIA process begins. Heritage concerns The Superintendence of Cul- tural Heritage has also ex- pressed reservations about the proposal, noting that the area forms part of a "wider cultural landscape defined by its scenic quality, agricultural activity, and coastal character." Originally built in the 1960s, the Paradise Bay Hotel was de- signed in a modernist style by the renowned Maltese archi- tect Richard England. While acknowledging that the struc- ture has been altered and ex- tended over the decades, the Superintendence has requested a clear and well-substantiated justification for its proposed demolition rather than its pres- ervation and integration within the new development. Noting that the hotel's coast- al setting defines key historical views across the Gozo Channel (Il-Fliegu), the Superintend- ence also warned that the pro- posed expansion could signifi- cantly affect the integrity of the coastal landscape, including views from prominent vantage points on Comino. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt ERA insists it can only consider the project if it is downsized