Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545750
12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 JULY 2026 NEWS Refusal recommended for ODZ hotel plan at Busbesija barracks site A planning application for a five- star tourist complex at the Bus- besija military barracks site in Mosta has been recommended for refusal. The land was leased to a private developer by the government through a parliamentary resolu- tion in 2020 that was approved unanimously. The project is be- ing proposed by Manatura Oper- ations Ltd, linked to businessman Conrad Borg. However, the planning direc- torate has warned the project involves excessive intervention in ODZ land and fails to meet key policy requirements on rural development, heritage protection and agricultural land safeguard- ing. The proposal concerns a 7,000sq.m site outside develop- ment zone boundaries which was leased to GP Borg Ltd for 45 years following an expressions of inter- est process initiated in 2015. The government sought to lease out the site, which is a former Brit- ish-era military installation, for tourism purposes. A public hearing on the applica- tion by a Planning Commission composed of three members has been scheduled for 17 July 2026. The scheme envisages a 30-room hotel, including the conversion of existing limestone barracks into accommodation and facilities, together with ex- tensive excavation works to cre- ate two underground basement levels for a spa, conference rooms and additional guest accommo- dation. It also includes private pools, a communal pool, six lux- ury tented units and extensive landscaping. However, in its assessment, the planning directorate concluded that the proposal is not accept- able in principle under ODZ policy frameworks governing re- habilitation of historic buildings, citing substantial demolition, rebuilding and intensification of use that go beyond what is per- mitted for rural structures of his- torical significance. It further found that the de- velopment extends beyond the committed footprint of the bar- racks complex, resulting in the formalisation of areas consid- ered agricultural or undeveloped countryside. This was deemed to conflict with rural protection policies. The report also raises con- cerns over the scale of excava- tion works and the introduction of two basement levels, stating these are excessive in an ODZ context and not envisaged under the applicable rehabilitation poli- cy framework. Visual and landscape impacts were also flagged, particularly the introduction of tented accommo- dation and leisure infrastructure within an Area of High Land- scape Sensitivity bordering rural and archaeological sites, includ- ing the Victoria Lines. The site contains a cluster of abandoned Second World War- era military structures, including storage huts and ancillary build- ings, which the proposal seeks to dismantle, restore and recon- struct. The directorate noted that the extent of intervention pro- posed would affect their authen- ticity and setting. Consultations with heritage, environmental and transport authorities also highlighted con- cerns over archaeological sensi- tivity and traffic access through narrow rural roads. The planning directorate is rec- ommending refusal on multiple grounds, including non-compli- ance with rehabilitation policy, land take-up outside the core barracks footprint, and unac- ceptable visual and environmen- tal impacts. The Mosta local council, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Moviment Graffitti and others objected to the pro- posed development. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Photomontage of the proposed development as seen from Triq Ta' Piru, Mosta (looking south) Polidano seeks fresh expansion of Hal Farrug industrial plant CONSTRUCTION magnate Charles Polidano has filed an ap- plication to expand his sprawling Ħal Farruġ industrial complex onto additional land, prompting immediate objections from the environment watchdog. The latest application (PA 884/26) proposes the construction of a specialised precast concrete plant on derelict land adjoining the existing industrial compound. The project also includes heavy vehicle parking areas, open plant areas and the continuation of the rehabilitation of surrounding ag- ricultural land and buffer zones. It also seeks to sanction landscaping belts, boundary walls and access gates that have already been car- ried out. The Environment and Resourc- es Authority (ERA) has already raised strong objections, stating "the proposed sprawling beyond the area of containment is not supported from an environmental point of view". The proposed works would bring development closer to an existing fireworks factory. The application represents the latest chapter in the gradual ex- pansion of Polidano's industrial operations at Ħal Farruġ, where several structures were built be- yond the scope of existing permits before being regularised through subsequent applications. History of sanctioning In 2021, the Planning Authority approved an application sanc- tioning a series of substantial deviations from previously ap- proved permits at the industrial compound after Polidano paid a €32,754 fine. Those irregularities included a 19-metre-high head office block, workers' accommodation, and a fuel station and car wash that ex- ceeded what had originally been approved. At the time, the case officer jus- tified the inclusion of workers' quarters by citing the company's involvement in large infrastruc- ture projects requiring the tempo- rary accommodation of special- ised foreign workers operating on shift patterns between the plant and construction sites. A year earlier, in 2020, Planning Authority enforcement officials inspecting land adjacent to the Poligas factory had confirmed that fresh concrete flooring had been laid over part of the site. In 2022 the PA issued another enforcement order against the change of use of land from agri- cultural to accomodate an "inert material processing area". The industrial complex itself has a long planning history. Substan- tial parts of the development were only sanctioned in 2007. The current application would further consolidate the industrial footprint of the site beyond the designated area of containment and closer to a sensitive fireworks installation. Reporting by James Debono