A controversial proposal for a 24-storey hotel next to the Regional Road tunnels in St Julian’s, has been shelved by the applicant.
However, there could be other plans for this undeveloped plot of land – measuring around 3,000 square metres – which was recently blocked by a boundary wall.
Though the area is within the development zone, it is designated as a public open space by the North Harbour local plan.
St Julian's council had fiercely objected to the project as it was felt that the scale of the proposal was excessive when taking in consideration its close proximity to Wied Għomor.
Contacted by Times of Malta, St Julian’s mayor Albert Buttigieg confirmed that the council recently flagged the construction of the boundary wall to the authorities. However, by law, owners of vacant plots could be forced to seal them off by an eight-course wall in case there are complaints of the areas turning into dumping sites.
Questions sent to TUM Invest on their plans for the site and the reason why the application was withdrawn were not answered by the time of writing.
According to the Planning Authority website the decision to withdraw the proposal was made on June 18.
Apart from the environmental issues of Wied Għomor, the proposal had also been questioned as the site is within a traffic junction bordered by an arterial road (Regional Road) on one side and a slip road to Spinola Bay along Triq il-Baltiku on the other.
Concerns had been raised that such development would exacerbate the traffic situation in the area.
Although TUM Invest had declared it was the sole owner of the site in question when the application was submitted, this was not the case.
It transpired that it was only at a later stage that the applicant got hold of a narrow strip of public land right in the middle of this plot though a public tender.
Though the timing of the sale of public land had raised concerns, a probe by the Lands Authority had concluded that there was no wrongdoing. The probe was conducted by the authority’s internal audits directorate, headed by lawyer and former ONE TV reporter Charlene Muscat who also served as Labour mayor of Mqabba.