Updated with PA decision at 2.45pm

The Planning Authority today approved an outline development for the conversion of an iconic Sliema palazzo, The Cloisters in Mrabat Street, into a boutique hotel.

The application by Bilom Group will add an additional storey to the facade and obliterate an extensive back garden, making way for an apartment block rising 21 metres above the Grade 2 scheduled building, which is within the Urban Conservation Area.

The development was approved with eight votes in favour and two against. Those voting against were Annick Bonello, the non-governmental organisations representative, and ERA representative Victor Axiak.

They argued that the proposal was excessive in scale. Mr Bonello also expressed concerns about the proposed interventions on the facade.

The facade's design has been kept as a reserved matter which will be addressed with the full development permit.

The proposal, which was recommended for approval by the Planning Directorate, met with strong opposition from the Sliema local council and heritage groups, one of which has described the development as a “mutilation”.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, however, has raised no objections to the application, having previously recommended changes to the first proposed facade designs.

An artist’s impression of how the hotel will look.

Due to the building’s scheduling status, alterations can only be carried out if they are sensitive and do not detract from the character or architectural homogeneity of the site.

The Sliema Heritage Society has said that approving the application would set a precedent that could dangerously compromise the protection of hundreds of other similarly listed properties.

Similar concerns were raised by Din L-Art Ħelwa, which called for the preservation of all scheduled buildings and their gardens, as well as a height limitation buffer zone around such sites.

“The use of such a building could never have been sustained without a garden, and hence the preservation of the garden gives value to the cloisters themselves,” Din L-Art Ħelwa said, adding that the proposed extensions would “dwarf” the existing building.

Meanwhile, the NGO said that the proposal stood in stark contrast with the context of the site and would wipe out the facades on the neighbouring Triq is-Sorijiet and Triq Bonavita, which have Category B+ protection status.

The organisation also contested the applicant’s claim that planning policies allowed for a height of up to 22 metres in the area.

“This property is within a UCA, where height adjustments are relative and must be interpreted in relation to the benchmark set by the predominant building heights of characteristic properties within the UCA,” FAA said.

Other objectors said the glass design for the facade extension did not reflect the austere nature of the old cloisters and suggested that the boutique hotel could be designed instead around the building’s original use.

Despite these concerns, the PA case officer recommended the project for approval, noting the support of the SCH and the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development, which encourages new uses of existing historical buildings to catalyse rehabilitation and regeneration.