Tribunal rejects Mellieħa council appeal over 109-unit apartment block

The Planning Tribunal has rejected an appeal to halt a controversial 4,000 square metre development in Mellieħa Heights, which will see the construction of a 109-unit apartment block.

Mellieħa mayor Gabriel Micallef described the decision by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal as “disappointing” on social media, after the local council appealed a permit granted by the Planning Authority.

The proposed development (PA/00371/24), submitted by T&S Property Holdings, includes 92 apartments, 17 penthouses and 171 underground garages in the Tal-Qortin area.

“This decision brings great disappointment, especially when there is clear evidence of breaches of established policies,” Micallef said. 

The Planning Authority approved the project in November 2024.

However, the saga dates back to 2023, when the government sold the plot,  estimated to be worth over €12 million, on a 50-year long-term lease agreement to the developers, for €380,000 a year.

Although the company had been outbid, T&S secured the land due to a right of first refusal as owners of adjacent land, allowing them to match the highest offer.

The company insisted that the area had been designated for development since 1965, with the 2006 local plans also marking the area as available for development.

For the last two years, the council and residents have pursued multiple avenues of objection.

“We made use of every available means — including parliamentary petitions, parliamentary questions, media articles, public pressure, formal objections, as well as direct communication with Ministers, the Prime Minister, the Ombudsman, and the NAO to defend our locality,” Micallef said.

Almost a year ago, exactly, dozens of Mellieha residents gathered in protest of the development. 

A legal appeal was filed in December 2024. Following the tribunal’s rejection, the council’s only remaining option is to challenge the development in court.