An application for a mega-extension of St Vincent de Paul was approved unanimously on Thursday by the Planning Authority.

The project will see the development of four residential blocks, which will house almost 500 residents, and a car park within the St Vincent de Paul Residence long-term care facility complex.

According to the case officer’s report, the whole site will occupy an area of around 16,500 square metres.

Artists' impression of the extension.

MP Marthese Portelli, who acts as the PN representative of the board, argued that the investigations by the public procurement procedures related to the development being discussed were still ongoing.

While the Opposition recognised more beds were needed, the extension was shrouded in controversy over public procurement procedures, Dr Portelli noted.

The Times of Malta had revealed a €60 million tender, issued for the provision of meals and the building of a new kitchen, was later morphed into a 500-bed fully fledged extension.

The Nationalist Party had asked the National Audit Office to investigate the contract.

A judicial protest calling for the publication of the contract was eventually filed by Partit Demokratiku, arguing there were serious breaches of EU public procurement rules in the way the tender was handled.

The contract was awarded to James Caterers and Malta Healthcare – a subsidiary of the Seabank db Group.

The contract said that any additional investment had to come at “no additional cost to the contracting authority”. However, the government later agreed to pay €274 million for various services associated directly with the new extension over a period of years, the protest noted.