Permit to turn St Julian's townhouse into hotel revoked
Developer given chance to alter plans
A planning permit for a hotel development at Sirdar House, a 19th century townhouse in St Julian’s, has been revoked.
The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal upheld an appeal by NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa and the St Julian’s local council.
In August 2024, the Planning Authority gave the go-ahead to transform the property into a four-storey, three-star hotel.
But on Thursday, EPRT concluded that the North Harbour local plan does not allow for a hotel on the site.
The tribunal offered applicant Andrea Zammit Tabona the chance to submit new plans that would revise the purpose of the building.
It also ordered changes to the design to minimise the impact of a proposed extension, including setting back the top floor by 1.4 metres along the southern boundary and increasing the height of the proposed chimney.
Sirdar House is located within the locality’s Urban Conservation Area and despite the application receiving over 140 objections, the development was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission board.
Located just behind the popular City of London Bar, the application called for the construction of three floors and a receded level with a proposed chimney flue. The plan also included excavation for a swimming pool and part internal demolition of the building.
The plans, submitted by Zammit Tabona and architect Edwin Mintoff, would have retained the existing façade of the building.
The original proposal was for the hotel to rise to five storeys, but the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage had expressed concerns about the proposed development’s intensity and height.
Sirdar House is located metres away from the scheduled Villa Leoni, which was planned to be developed into a hotel but this was rejected by the Planning Authority back in 2019.