The ADPD political party has criticised plans for the building of a complex of bungalows on Comino, saying successive governments have promoted land speculation and favoured speculators.

Last week seven environmental organisations urged the public to oppose the project, which is part of plans for the new Comino Hotel filed by Hili Group. 

"Comino does not need more buildings, it actually needs less, otherwise the special protection that Comino is supposed to enjoy means nothing", said ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo in a statement.

“As we have seen in the recent past - including in the case of the Hilton development, that of the db Group in Pembroke, and of the public land concession to the Corinthia Group in Pembroke, governments have changed the original conditions of the title of public land, so that from concessions for purely touristic use, land speculation is allowed. On Comino the construction of villas will be allowed, even though the whole island is supposed to be classified as protected in the context of the Natura 2000 network of sites." 

He observed that the proposed development on Comino will mean an intensification of the use of the land originally taken up by the Comino Hotel. Instead of the nine existing bungalows, 19 will be built (700 square meters each) to be sold to private owners. The hotel will have 140 beds. All this on an island that is practically uninhabited, and which is the only island that is a reserve in its entirety.

Government should seek to reduce the amount and footprint of buildings. The villa bungalows must be eliminated completely, and the footprint of the hotel should also be reduced” he insisted.