Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/972198
maltatoday SUNDAY 22 APRIL 2018 9 News JAMES DEBONO THE Lands Authority has con- firmed that MPs will have to green-light changes to the original deed on which the new 15-storey Fortina Hotel in Sliema will be built. The redeveloped Fortina will include the rebuilt hotel as well as 109 new apartments, but the Lands Authority's CEO Carlo Mifsud that the original deed for the land on which the hotel was built has not been revised. "Any such revision, as in this case, would require a parliamentary resolution," Mifsud said. The Lands Authority had al- ready issued its clearance to the planning application presented by the developers. But Mifsud insisted that such a clearance "only implies that the applicant is being cleared to ap- ply for a planning permit at his own risk and cost". In October, the Democratic Party had expressed concern that the inclusion of a residential complex within the new Fortina was a clear change of use from that stipulated in the original contract, and would "necessi- tate a rethink of the ground rent, which is an insignificant cost in light of the huge amount of mon- ey set to be made". The permit envisages the dem- olition of the existing four-star hotel and spa wing of the five- star resort, and the building of 109 apartments over 15 floors, as well as a ground-floor shopping mall and three levels of under- ground parking. It will also add five extra floors to the existing hotel tower, and build a new 13-floor hotel block in place of the spa wing, with res- taurants at the plaza level. The Lands Authority did not accede to MaltaToday's request for the amount of ground rent presently paid by the owners of the Fortina hotel and how the government intends to revise the deed to permit residential apart- ments. Both the developers and the Planning Authority were cagey when Sliema councillor Paul Radmilli raised this issue on Thursday. Radmilli insisted that the deed should be published before a de- cision was taken. But the devel- oper's lawyer insisted that the land is "private" and the planning board had no jurisdiction on civil matters between the government and the developer. Johann Buttigieg, CEO of the Planning Authority, said the Lands Authority "as owner of the land" gave its clearance for the application and that the PA had no remit on third party rights. Unimpressed, Radmilli warned against a repetition of the Gaffa- rena scandal where administra- tive procedures were respected but the law was still breached. Residents have also claimed that the deed limited develop- ment behind the spa area to four floors. This was confirmed by a case officer's report for another development in 1998. The original deed was signed in the 1960s at a time when public land was dished out to private developers in various parts of the island to prop up Malta's tourism development. The same was done in the early 1990s with regard to the Corin- thia and Radisson developments in St Julian's, which are also now earmarked for a project which is set to include apartments. The Hilton development ap- proved in 1995 also required changes to the original deed dat- ing back to the 1960s to permit apartments on public land. But subsequently environment minister George Vella heeded the Ombudsman's advice to intro- duce legal changes requiring par- liamentary approval for changes to emphyteutical deeds. The ombudsman had inter- vened to stop a hunger strike by activists protesting against how public land had been transferred to the Hilton developers. MaltaToday's questions to the Lands Authority 1) Under which conditions was the land granted to developers in the 1960s and have these condi- tions been revised? If so, when? 2) Is any ground rent being cur- rently paid by the owners of the site and what is the amount of ground rent due to government from the Fortina site? 3) Did the original conditions regulating the deed allow the de- velopment of residential apart- ments on this land and if not, have the conditions been revised and how? 4) Has the Lands Authority re- vised ground rent payments or asked for a revision of any other payment to government in view of the residential development? If so what ground rent is now due to government? Interested persons are to send a covering le�er together with a detailed Curriculum Vitae by not later than 6th May 2018, address to Human Resources Unit, Iden�ty Malta Agency, Onda Building, Aldo Moro Street, Marsa. 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