Three local councils, residents, and NGOs have taken court action in a last-ditch attempt to block a massive project in St George’s Bay. 

In an appeal filed in court last week, the group are hitting out against the approval of a controversial DB Group project on the former Institute of Tourism Studies site in St Julian's. 

The €250 million development will see the construction of a 12-storey hotel and two 17- and 18-storey residential towers on the former ITS site. 

It was approved in June. 

The project was given the thumbs up by the Environment Resources Authority (ERA) on the basis of what the group described as “a highly defective” Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project.

Objections to that EIA form the basis of the first appeal filed by the group of objetors. 

The other court action is an appeal against the Planning Board's decision to give the project the go-ahead. The group argue that this disregarded planning policies and involved an “unfair and irregular process”.

EPRT rejection 'expected' 

Both court actions were filed after the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) rejected appeals against the project last month.

“The EPRT decision to reject our appeals was expected since the tribunal has an abysmal track record of consistently ruling against objectors and in favour of the Planning Authority (PA) and other powerful forces,” the group said in a joint statement on Monday. 

Residents have repeatedly expressed their alarm about the development, which they say will be detrimental to their wellbeing.  

The court appeals were filed by:

  • Pembroke Local Council,
  • St Julian’s Local Council,
  • Swieqi Local Council,
  • ACT Malta,
  • Din l-Art Ħelwa,
  • Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar,
  • Friends of the Earth Malta,
  • Moviment Graffitti,
  • Nature Trust Malta,
  • Rota,
  • The Archaeological Society Malta,
  • Pembroke and Swieqi residents

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