Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546155
HV Hospitality, the Hili Group company behind the contro- versial Comino hotel redevel- opment, says demolition or construction of the hotel and bungalows will not begin while the Planning Authority permit remains under appeal. But the company has not specified when tree uprooting covered by an environmental permit issued on Friday by the Environment and Resources Authority will commence. The permit covers both tree interventions including the uprooting of 678 trees and the way excavation and demoli- tion works are undertaken in the ecologically sensitive Nat- ura 2000 site. In a reply to MaltaToday, the company said it would not commence works related to the environmental interven- tions immediately, adding all transplantation, uprooting and pruning works are required to take place during the winter months. "With reference to ERA per- mit 1472/22 approved last Fri- day, HV Hospitality will not be commencing works related to the environmental interven- tions immediately," HV hos- pitality told MaltaToday. "All transplantation, uprooting and pruning works are required to take place during the winter months to maximise success and minimise environmental impact. This is the appropriate ecological window regardless of when the permit was grant- ed, and works will proceed on- ly within it." WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT €1.00 WEDNESDAY • 12 AUGUST 2026 • ISSUE 1006 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY EDITORIAL • PAGE 11 Truck driver, 27, dead after colliding with trailer A truck driver lost his life on Friday after colliding with a trailer in Qormi. Personnel from the Civil Protec- tion Department were immedi- ately called to the scene at around 11:45am on Triq Ħandaq. However, the man was certified dead on site. Preliminary investigations found that the 27-year-old Indian truck driver collided with a DAF CF85 trailer driven by a 39-year-old man from Tarxien. Police investigations conduct- ed jointly with the Occupational Health and Safety Authority are on- going. Magistrate Monica Borg Galea has appointed an inquiry. WEDNESDAY EDITION Hili gives no clear date for Comino tree works, rules out construction during appeal Terms apply. €4.95 / month Stream, surf, chat. Endless Mobile Plans AI generated content Developer behind controversial development categorical that Comino hotel and bungalow construction will await the planning appeal, but only says tree transplantation, pruning and uprooting will take place during winter without specifying whether they will commence before conclusion of appeal CONTINUES PAGE 3 Keith Schembri tipped off Johann Cremona on Theuma phone tapping, jurors told PAGE 5 Someone is lying on the witness stand in Yorgen Fenech's trial ANALYSIS PAGES 6-7 JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt A photomontage of the proposed hotel