Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545896
VANDALS are running ram- page in Bormla's streets, smashing car windows at night and leaving residents fum- ing over what appears to be a months'-long saga. Several residents who spoke to MaltaToday said the van- dalism began around three months ago when some car owners woke up to find their vehicles' windows broken. But now, they say, this has become a regular occurrence, with some areas experiencing such destruction on a daily ba- sis. The affected area includes the streets that surround the Verdala Secondary School and the St Margaret College Mid- dle School. One resident who spoke to MaltaToday explained that the first time this happened to a family member of hers, the vandals stole a stereo from their car. But when it hap- pened a second time, nothing was taken from the vehicle. The car owner woke up to find a smashed window and a brick on the car seat. One man who lives in the area recently woke up to find his car with a broken rear windscreen and broken windows, while an- other resident described wak- ing up to the sight of six cars with smashed windows. "We see broken glass on the ground in our area almost every other day," another irate resident told this newspaper. Another victim stated that he was recently told that the cul- prit was caught by the police, but this was not the first time he was informed of this. In fact, when residents were previous- ly told that police caught those responsible, more cars would shortly appear vandalised once again. Bormla's residents appealed to the authorities to tackle the issue through proper patrols and investigations. "We are reaching a tipping point," an angry resident said, adding not enough was be- ing done to put a stop to this senseless vandalism. 9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JULY 2026 NEWS Bormla residents fume after finding car windows smashed MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt One of many car windows (inset) that have been vandalised over the several weeks in Bormla, a situation that is leaving residents frustrated and angry Stivala's proposed Sliema hostel has same 136-room scale as revoked hotel permit A Tourism Compliance Certif- icate issued by the Malta Tour- ism Authority on 17 February cleared the way for a Sliema hos- tel with 136 rooms and 277 beds. The only snag is that the hostel is being proposed on the very same site where a hotel project with the same number of rooms was rejected by the law courts. The latest reincarnation of the project under a different classification is being proposed by developer Michael Stivala and is awaiting a planning per- mit. The MTA certificate con- firms no objection to the de- velopment as submitted, which consists of an 11-storey hostel with three basement levels. The project will also include a language school at basement level, a conference hall and breakfast room at ground floor level, a spa and gym and a roof- top pool. The same site was previously the subject of an application for an 11-storey hotel with 136 rooms, which was later revoked following a Court of Appeal judgment. Previously, the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal had partially upheld the objec- tors' appeal and sent the case back to the Planning Author- ity to process the application afresh under a different use, namely as a hostel. But in December 2024 the Court of Appeal revoked the tribunal's decision to allow the application to be revisited as a hostel. The court declared that the tribunal had acted beyond its powers and thus revoked the permit entirely. This meant that Stivala had to restart the process through a completely new application. Under the North Harbours Local Plan, hotels are not per- mitted in residential areas, although hostels and guest houses remain allowed, subject to compliance with relevant planning and environmental policies. Planning documents show that the current hostel pro- posal retains the same building height, room count and overall capacity as the previous hotel scheme. The case has triggered re- newed objections, with objec- tors arguing that the hostel is effectively identical to the hotel proposal previously annulled, pointing to the unchanged scale, massing and inclusion of hotel-style amenities such as spa, pool and conference facil- ities. They contend that the change in classification does not reflect a substantive change in devel- opment form. More than 300 objections have been presented including one by the owners of the scheduled Villa Bonici. The proposal also comes against the backdrop of new national regulations intro- duced before the general elec- tion, which tighten controls on tourist accommodation in resi- dential zones. The rules cap new hostels in residential areas at 40 beds in total. But in this case the tour- ism certificate, which is still valid was issued in February two months before the new rules came to be. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Photomontage of 11-storey hotel revoked by the law courts and now resurrected as a hostel application