The Corinthia Group will be allowed to change the conditions associated with the public land it occupies in Pembroke, following a parliamentary resolution which has raised the ire of Alternattiva Demokratika.

The new conditions mean the land can be used for speculation in real estate rather than solely for tourism, and will extend the same conditions to the group company, International Hotel Investments, as those imposed on the transfer of land to the db Group.

Alternattiva Demokratika secretary general Ralph Cassar said: "Konrad Mizzi, who is piloting the motion is parliament is justifying this deal by referring to the obscene db Group deal. These deals mean more property speculation on public land. These deals favour the powerful few over the interests and quality of life of the residents of Pembroke and St Julians. The deal further confirms that government is in favour of rampant property speculation and that it favours speculators over everyone else. It is further confirmations that the PLPN system is a system which favours the few over the many."

The group had confirmed in its interim report last August that the design and planning of the site in St George’s Bay was well underway and that development works were expected to start during 2019.

The plans unveiled in 2016 had shown two luxury hotels, one of which would be housed in a tower, upmarket residences and boutique retail areas, spread across an upscale mixed-use resort on its 77,000 square metre site.

The project includes the sites in St George’s Bay currently occupied by the Corinthia St George’s Bay Hotel, the Marina Hotel and the Radisson Blu Resort, all owned by IHI.

Since then, the db Group project has taken over much of the area with its plans for the City Centre adjacent to the IHI sites.