Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542030
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 DECEMBER 2025 charged with involuntarily damag- tained. has taken place and CCTV footage NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Mosta residents cite Ian Borg's draft law to oppose hotel RESIDENTS of Triq il-Kun- gress Ewkaristiku in Mosta are formally opposing a proposed four-star boutique hotel, ar- guing that the development would contravene both exist- ing policies and a new policy on building heights for hotels included in a draft law recent- ly presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Ian Borg. The application, submitted by architect Mariello Spiteri, proposes converting existing offices and a dwelling into a six-level hotel with 19 guest rooms, reception and lobby ar- eas, a bar and restaurant, spa facilities, terraces, landscaped vertical gardens, and an out- door pool. Spiteri, who owns the office block, served on one of the Planning Authority's deciding boards between 2014 and 2019. He is listed as both the appli- cant and architect for this pro- ject. Two setback floors—barely visible from some angles but more prominent from oth- ers—have already been allowed under a permit issued in 2007, with minor changes approved in 2021 and 2023. The current application proposes an addi- tional setback floor, increasing the building's visual promi- nence. In their objection, a group of residents, backed by NGO Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, specifically cite the draft legis- lation proposed in November 2025 by Ian Borg. The draft law stipulates that applications exceeding maxi- mum permitted heights under Local Plan Height Limitation maps should not be considered. Currently, hotels can bene- fit from two extra floors, but this policy does not yet apply to Urban Conservation Areas (UCAs). The property is partially lo- cated within Mosta's UCA, where surrounding buildings are mostly two-storey town- houses with minor recessed floors. Residents insist that since the proposed develop- ment lies partly in the UCA, the present policy already ex- cludes additional floors. "Although one might ar- gue that the upper floors are set back from the façade, this does not mitigate the fact that the wall remains highly visible from several points along the street due to its exposed posi- tion and the absence of adjoin- ing development to screen it. For neighbouring residents, the blank wall constitutes a perma- nent eyesore, dominating their outlook," the objection reads. The local plan sets the building height at two floors (11.40m) at the front and 17.50m at the rear, outside the UCA. The proposed ho- tel would reach a maximum height of 20 meters, including the setback floors. Beyond visual concerns, res- idents warn that a 19-room hotel would increase traffic, exacerbate limited parking, and intensify refuse collection challenges, including addition- al delivery and service vehicle movements. The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) has not objected in principle to the change of use but raised reservations about demoli- tion at ground-floor level and rooftop additions. The SCH has requested detailed photo- graphs and a Works Method Statement to ensure sensitive treatment of the historic fab- ric, and rooftop interventions are recommended to remain within the Development Zone to avoid setting a precedent for intensive development within the UCA. Proposed boutique hotel seeks an additional setback f loor over two previously approved levels on top of a traditional townhouse fronting Triq il-Kungress Ewkaristiku The photos represent the existing building in Mosta. The red outline points out the site