Activists from seven groups joined together on Saturday to speak out against the “outrageous” plans to redevelop and extend the former Comino Hotel.

Proposed by a subsidiary of Hili Group, the plan will see the old Comino Hotel turned into a 71-suite hotel featuring amenities such as several swimming pools, a spa and a restaurant alongside 19 serviced villas in place of rundown bungalows.

In total, the San Niklaw bay hotel will amass a 6,500 square metre footprint along with an 8,000 square metre external area. The Santa Marija bay bungalow villas will cover just over 5,000 square metres, including a restaurant. 

The proposal has attracted more than 13,500 objections.

On Saturday, activists from Moviment Graffitti, Din l-Art Ħelwa, BirdLife Malta, NatureTrust-FEE, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, and the Ramblers' Association gathered in front of Hili Group’s HQ in Marsa to emphasise their concerns.

“To this day, we still don’t know what the impact will be,” Nicholas Barbara from BirdLife Malta said at the conference.

Comino is one of the few places absent of “bustling crowds” within the Maltese islands and this project will see an end to the island’s peace for both people and wildlife, he said. 

Not far from Santa Marija bay, bird habitats will be disrupted as the noise-sensitive creatures will be bombarded with the disturbance of over 350 people across guests and employees while the bay’s traffic also increases, Barbara added.

“No one is clear on how the bungalows will be used,” he said.

The initial proposal was for the villas to be available on long leases, but developers have since said they will only be made available for short-term stays. 

Activists on Saturday however said that the new bungalows may be sold in the future, introducing permanent residents to the island.

The groups highlighted Comino’s several protected designations as a nature reserve, a special area of conservation with Natura2000 protection and a bird sanctuary.

The influx of heavy machinery and construction materials, together with the obscene increase in human activity, will irreversibly destroy the natural habitats within the complex and disturb those surrounding it, they said.

Speaking for Din l-Art Ħelwa, Stephane Croce mentioned the linear design of the hotel which will be “alien” to the island’s landscape. “The beauty of Santa Marija bay will be lost forever, and it is such a pity.”

Activists also challenged Hili Group’s claims that the built-up landscape will shrink in size, accusing them of “twisting numbers” while claiming that the reuse of materials and replanting of trees will not negate the impact.

Qala Mayor Paul Buttigieg also joined the activists at the microphone as he questioned the lack of response towards the 13,500 objections against the project. “Do these not mean anything?”

Along with the activists, the mayor said that these protected areas need to be upheld as sacrosanct.

“We think the best type of development is no development,” Moviment Graffitti’s Marie Claire Gatt said.

“The people, and us behind them, are ready to do whatever must be done so that this project does not happen and so Comino remains for the people.”

Developer’s response

Following the press conference, Hili Group subsidiary HV Hospitality (who own the Comino Hotel and Bungalows) released a statement to “clarify some misconceptions about the project.”

Across three short points, they explained that the redevelopment focuses on rebuilding the rundown area which will create a “top-quality sustainable tourism” which meets all requirements and standards.

They also remained firm on their stance that the projects would reduce the built footprint and said extensive studies and analysis have led to a “highly thoughtful and balanced approach”.

A Times of Malta fact-check previously concluded that while the overall footprint of the development will shrink, the proposed development will be denser than the existing one. 

“HV Hospitality is committed to remaining honest and transparent throughout the planning process and welcomes discussions with all stakeholders, as it has always done,” the statement said.