Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541680
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 NOVEMBER 2025 NEWS Expression of Interest For more info visit micas.art/get-involved or contact people@micas.art micas.art Closing at noon on Monday 15 December 2025 Office Attendant (Visitor Services) Part-time — 3 year contract of service housing works "The company has been in dis- cussions regarding new facilities specifically to finance the Luqa project, however it is not cur- rently in a position to draw down on these facilities," the board said. In parallel, the board was al- so undertaking a comprehensive review of the financing require- ments for the housing project. Meanwhile, news broke out that contractors and suppliers stopped being paid for works carried out on the project, a sit- uation that raised alarm bells in the market. On 7 November, Malita is- sued a company announcement on the stock exchange in which it confirmed that works on the Luqa site were "temporarily sus- pended" until the strategic re- view of the project was complete. No bailout Crucially, the company said it was in discussions with stake- holders, including the Housing Authority, "regarding the future direction" of the housing project. No decisions had been finalised but Malita emphasised that it was "not expecting a govern- ment bailout". "Any solutions being consid- ered must be commercially sus- tainable and compliant with ap- plicable state aid regulations and the company's obligations as a listed entity," the announcement read. But the situation was exacer- bated when former Malita chair Marlene Mizzi accused Hous- ing Minister Roderick Galdes of trying to interfere in Malita's af- fairs and "hobnobbing with con- tractors" during her time at the company's helm. Mizzi claimed the minister removed her in May 2024 after she stood up to him. On 26 November, Malita is- sued a company announcement refuting the allegations that its decisions and actions were in- fluenced by ministerial interven- tion. Galdes has refuted the alle- gations, which are now subject to two separate investigations— one by the Standards Commis- sioner requested by Momentum Chairperson Arnold Cassola and another by the Auditor General requested by the Nationalist Par- ty. As for the liquidity challenges, Malita said it was working with stakeholders to address the is- sues. But the announcement did not give much detail as to how the company would plug the funding gap, four years after the liquidity problems were first flagged. Since August, when the issue came to a head, Malita's private shareholders have seen the share price decline as the prospect of legal challenges by unpaid con- tractors looms heavily over the company. Meanwhile, work on what was billed as Malta's largest social housing project in Luqa remains suspended while Malita searches for the light at the end of the tunnel. Five-star hotel proposed in Zurrieq village square sparks heritage concerns TWO of Żurrieq's most prom- inent buildings adjacent to the Parish Church of St Catherine, overlooking Misraħ ir-Repub- blika could turn into a five-star hotel. Baldacchino Holdings, own- ers of the Garden of Eden wed- ding hall and the Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel, have set their sights on transforming the buildings into a hotel. The project is being proposed instead of an approved but nev- er-developed home for the el- derly which was first given the go ahead in 2011 and whose permit was renewed in 2017. The old people's home permit, which was granted to the same company behind the hotel ap- plication, remains valid till next year. The permit controversially al- lows for a receded rooftop level and was issued despite objec- tions from the Heritage Advi- sory Committee and the case officer, who had recommended refusal. The new plans, submitted through two separate ap- plications within the Urban Conservation Area (UCA) of Żurrieq, cover two historic properties—the surviving part of a 17th-century palazzo and a 19th-century townhouse. While no major alterations to the façades are being proposed, other than a rooftop extension, the change of use of such a prominent landmark into a ho- tel, together with internal in- terventions and a rooftop pool, have triggered strong heritage concerns. The rooftop pool in particular has been flagged by both Din l-Art Ħelwa and the Superin- tendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) as highly problematic, with both bodies warning that it would visually jar with the protected setting and compro- mise key views within the vil- lage core. Din l-Art Ħelwa said a com- mercial operation of this scale would overwhelm the local streetscape and undermine the character of the traditional town centre. The NGO warned that the second-floor extension, cater- ing facilities, and rooftop pool would generate noise and ac- tivity incompatible with the ar- ea's community-serving role. It further noted that the site lies within a residential area where hotels are not permissible, ren- dering the proposal contrary to planning policy. The NGO al- so criticised the removal of the formal garden to make way for paving and a pool. On the other hand, the SCH did not object to the proposed ground-floor pool, insisting on a detailed works method state- ment. However, the SCH expressed concern about the proposed demolition of internal histor- ic fabric, including the main staircase and elements of the rear façade, questioning the lack of clear justification for such interventions. The houses in Zurrieq earmarked for development next to the Parish Church JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt