Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/847822
3 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 12 JULY 2017 News YANNICK PACE THE Ministry for Culture, Jus- tice and Local Government has denied claims that three em- ployees at Arts Council Malta (ACM) were transferred to oth- er government departments fol- lowing the general election. ACM is the national agency for development and investment in the cultural and creative sec- tors. In comments to this newspa- per, council chair Albert Mar- shall insisted that over the past years, the council had been undergoing a restructuring process, and that the ministry should be contacted for further information. Last month, MaltaToday re- ported that according to in- dustry sources, festival man- ager Noel D'Amato and two other ACM employees had been transferred to departments unrelated to their professional background against their will. This came shortly after a num- ber of dismissals at the V18 Foundation. It is understood that D'Amato, who is involved in the organisa- tion of the Notte Bianca festival, was given one day's notice. The ministry confirmed that the three employees no longer worked at council, but denied that they had need transferred. A spokesman said the persons concerned had originally been seconded to ACM from another department, and their second- ments had been rescinded. "Revocation of detailing of two of the officers and revocation of secondment of another was done in accordance with gov- ernment regulations with the three officers moving to other ministries," said a spokesman. "Their positions are related to their substantive grades or ex- perience which as you know is not limited solely to the duties they carried out at Arts Council Malta." This newspaper is also in- formed that several individuals were recruited to the council in the run-up to last month's general election, including two drivers who were not in posses- sion of a driver's licence. The ministry again pushed back against allegations of wrongdoing, stressing that no recruitment had taken place, however it said that the coun- cil grants service contracts on a regular basis. "Like other government enti- ties and departments, ACM did not engage any staff during the month prior to the general elec- tion, from Zejtun or other any part of the country for that mat- ter," the spokesman said. "Any contracts for service were carried out on a project basis, as per normal run of business. I am also informed that, of course, no driver was contracted without a licence." Ministry quashes speculation on Arts Council transfers Westin to get 4 new storeys JAMES DEBONO THREE full floors and an addi- tional receded floor are being proposed on the existing suites of the Westin Hotel, which overlooks St George's bay. The permit which will see the addition of 33 suites, 21 stand- ard rooms and three grand hotel suites is set for approval tomorrow. The original permit for the hotel, issued in 1995, included a condition stating that no ex- tensions or enlargements of the hotel should be permitted in the future but subsequent permits were issued to sanc- tion additional suites which had been developed illegally. The case officer invokes local plan policies supporting tour- ism development in the area to overrule this clause in the original permit. The additional storeys are also deemed acceptable, as these are considerably lower than the visible backdrop of the existing hotel, which rises approximately three to four f loors above the proposed ex- tension. But heritage watchdog Din L-art Helwa has objected by pointing out that the extension defies the original terraced ap- proach of the hotel massing, so as to ensure that the building gradually slopes down to the foreshore. "The extension not only blanks out the rest of the hotel behind it, but creates a 'wall' of buildings onto St George's Bay, with no terracing to soften the vertical volume". But the PA's Design Advisory Committee, which advises the PA on design matters, has ap- proved the design of the hotel extension. The original permits for the hotel were issued on condi- tion that parts of an existing boundary wall were disman- tled to ensure public access to a 12m wide foreshore area. "Whilst the boundary wall does not form part of this ap- plication, the condition of the previous permit which ensures that the part of the original terrace boundary is removed prior to the issuing of the final compliance cer- tificate is still valid and being reiterated. Similarly, the pub- lic deed is to be reiterated to ensure that public access to the foreshore is secured." The development proposed through this application will be carried out on areas com- mitted to existing hotel facili- ties. In 2004 an enforcement order which is still listed as "pending" on the PA's website was issued against an illegal extension. But according to the case officer report a per- mit issued in January 2013 "sanctions and covers the il- legalities" subject to this en- forcement notice. The Paceville masterplan which was put on the back- burner before the election had earmarked the site for the development of a 26 storey tower. The new-look Westin Hotel Albert Marshall Xtra Sajf Wednesday TVM 20:50