Comino hotel project gets green light from planning appeals tribunal
EPRT dismisses objectors' claims and confirms planning permit for island project
A project to redevelop a hotel and bungalows on Comino can go ahead, a planning appeals tribunal ruled on Tuesday as it rejected an appeal lodged against the project permit.
The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal confirmed the permit (PA 4777/20) granted to HV Hospitality, an offshoot of Hili Ventures, to develop its Six Senses Comino project.
Objections to the project were fronted by several eNGOs including Moviment Graffitti, Birdlife Malta, Nature Trust and Din L-Art Ħelwa, among others.
They appealed the project last July, one month after the Planning Authority approved the proposal. Objectors can now lodge one final appeal before the law courts should they wish to do so.
In a statement, HV Hospitality welcomed Tuesday’s EPRT decision, saying it “reinforces the company’s vision to create a world-class, environmentally responsible resort that enhances Malta’s tourism offering while respecting Comino’s unique landscape.”
HV Hospitality intends to demolish the current hotel and bungalows and Comino, which ceased operation some years ago, and replace them with a new 140-bed hotel at San Niklaw Bay and 16 bungalows at Santa Marija Bay, as well as restaurants, bars and a spa. It estimates the project will cost around €170 million and has signed a deal with the Six Senses luxury brand to operate the hotel.
The developer says the project will restore over 8,200 square metres of land and introduce 55,000 endemic trees and plants to the area. Objectors say the project will strain Comino’s fragile ecosystems and highlight the luxury project’s plans to add a massive 44 swimming pools and two new jetties to the island.
The appeal to the EPRT was based on 11 complaints that ranged from claims that the project violated local plans and rural policies to concerns about the project’s environmental impact and habitat loss.
The EPRT dismissed all 11 objections and upheld the PA’s original reasoning when approving the permit, saying that while the project involved intensive changes, the proposal incorporates sufficient mitigation and restoration measures to justify its approval.