Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546155
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 12 AUGUST 2026 NEWS Developers persist with plan for tourist complex on Kercem fireworks factory site Developers are persisting with plans to turn a fireworks factory in Kerċem into a sev- en-unit tourist accommoda- tion complex. The Planning Directorate had recommended refusal of the application ahead of a Plan- ning Commission meeting on 12 May. However, rather than refusing the application, the commission agreed to suspend it for three months and gave the architect an opportunity to address the reasons for refusal. The developers have now presented visuals showing the scale of the development com- pared to the present situation, even if the major objection was on the proposed change of use rather than the visual change. In October the Environment and Resources had made it clear that the "proposed change in use is not favourably consid- ered from an environmental point of view". The visuals were original- ly demanded by the Superin- tendence for Cultural Heritage whose clearance is now re- quired. The visual study was al- so submitted last week as part of the latest documentation. It assesses the development from six open countryside viewpoints, finding that the proposed complex would be visible from three of them but not visible from the other three. The proposal, PA/06186/25, was submitted by Clyde Ban- tick in his personal capacity, with Bantick declaring own- ership of the site. He is Group General Manager at Blue Clay Collection, part of the Agius Group of companies, a compa- ny whose directors include de- veloper Mark Agius. The project involves the rede- velopment of the existing fire- works factory into six two-bed- room and one one-bedroom tourist accommodation units, each with its own private swim- ming pool. The plans also include a re- ception, lounge and breakfast area, parking and service areas, as well as extensive hard land- scaping. A 160 cubic metre reservoir and 23.5 cubic metre cesspit are also proposed. The minutes state that the architect was asked, "without prejudice to final decision", to address the reasons for refusal. The Planning Commission also instructed the board secretary to consult the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Dis- ability, Transport Malta, the Malta Tourism Authority, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and Sanita. The Planning Directorate is subsequently expected to as- sess the latest information and determine whether the rea- sons for refusal have been ad- dressed. The latest plans show that the proposed tourism development remains substantially different in scale and intensity from the existing fireworks factory. The approved footprint of the original factory is 309 square metres, while the pro- posed ground-floor develop- ment would have a footprint of around 694 square metres. The earlier case officer report had also raised concerns about a proposed basement measur- ing around 1,457 square me- tres, substantially exceeding the legally established foot- print of the existing ground- floor structures. The Directorate had further objected to the extent of hard landscaping, including around 241 square metres of passage- ways and another 207 square metres allocated to pools and decking, describing the take-up of rural land as excessive. The development is being assessed under the 2014 Rural Policy, which provides limited scope for new uses of existing ODZ structures where a wider environmental benefit can be demonstrated. Bantick had argued that re- placing an explosives factory with tourist accommodation would provide such a benefit. The Directorate, however, had remained unconvinced, point- ing to the increase in built vol- ume and intensity of use. The Malta Tourism Authority had also not endorsed the pro- posal and no Tourism Com- pliance Certificate had been issued. The application describes the fireworks factory as legally es- tablished, although an enforce- ment case concerning three workshops and other facilities not covered by a permit has been pending since 1999. The site lies in the rural ar- ea around Wied il-Mans and within a Dark Sky Heritage Ar- ea. It also has agricultural and archaeological value and falls within the buffer zone of the Qawra/Dwejra Heritage Park. Environmental and heritage NGOs had objected to the pro- posal, warning that the conver- sion of an ODZ fireworks fac- tory into a commercial tourism development could encourage further development in an ar- ea where the original industrial use was required to be located outside development zones for safety reasons. The architect is Alex Bigeni. Revised plans retain seven tourist units with pools despite Planning Directorate recommending refusal over excessive development and rural land take-up JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt The exisiting site (top) compared to a photomontage of the proposed tourist units (above) B'dan l-avviż ikun magħruf illi b'rikors ippreżentat fil-Qorti, Sezzjoni ta' Ġuriżdizzjoni Volontarja, fis-26 ta' Marzu, 2026, Rikors numru 290/2026, minn Raymond Cosaitis et, fejn talbu li tiġi ddikjarata miftuħa favur Raymond Cosaitis, Godfrey Cosaitis u James Cosaitis, ħut id-decujus fi kwota ta' terz (1/3) indiviż kull wieħed minnhom is-suċċessjoni ta' Victor Cosaitis, guvni, bin il-mejtin Paul Cosaitis u Josephine Cosaitis née Mousu, imwieled l-Isla, Malta, kien residenti Ħal Luqa, Malta u miet Ħal Luqa, Malta, fl-20 ta' Diċembru, 2025, ta' 74 sena, u li kellu karta tal-identità numru 0408751M. Għaldaqstant, kull min jidhirlu li għandu interess huwa msejjaħ biex jidher quddiem il-Qorti fuq imsemmija sabiex b'nota jmur kontra dik it-talba fi żmien ħmistax-il ġurnata li jibda jgħaddi minn dak il-jum li fih jiġi mwaħħal il-bandu u l-avviżi skont il-liġi. Reġistru tal-Qorti Ċivili, Sezzjoni ta' Ġuriżdizzjoni Volontarja Illum 30 ta' April, 2026 ALEXANDRA DEBATTISTA Għar-Reġistratur, Qrati Ċivili u Tribunali