Updated 7.45pm with ERA statement
The Environment and Resources Authority has given its green light to the demolition and redevelopment of the Mellieħa Bay Hotel, despite its two-fold increase in size and experts' concerns about its environmental impacts.
When the board met to discuss its position on Friday, the consultants of the environmental impact assessment said the project was going to have major impacts on its surroundings, including the loss of a considerable number of trees as well as excessive noise levels during the construction phase.
In a statement, the environmental regulator said that the proposal it approved had "improvements from prior submissions", would see construction shifted away from the coast and lead to "about 4,500m2 restored to its original state and returned to the public".
The ERA statement argued that the new proposals would confine construction to an already built area and "its ancillary landscaping and infrastructure."
Its approval will be sent to the Planning Authority and makes it much more likely for the planning application submitted by developers to be approved by the PA.
The developers are proposing to set up a concrete batching plant on site to facilitate the construction process.
Site's history
The site, spanning 16.3 hectares, was acquired from the government in 1963 through a 150-year emphyteusis. The hotel had been in operation between 1969 and October 2019, in anticipation of the eventual redevelopment.
The owners, Mizzi Group of Companies, have applied to demolish the hotel and construct a luxury complex in its place.
Prior to its closure, the hotel comprised 313 guest rooms, together with amenities including food and beverage outlets, conference facilities, two outdoor swimming pools, an indoor pool, surface carparks and two tennis courts.
What the application seeks
The application sought a permit to increase the number of rooms to 421 but it was then downscaled to 359 rooms. The accommodation will be spread across 11 interconnected blocks of varying heights of between one and seven storeys.
Despite the reduction, the gross floor area will increase from 26,700 square metres to almost 51,000 square metres. The built footprint will double from 7,000 square metres to 15,000.
Environmental impacts
The EIA found that almost 123,000 cubic metres of material will be excavated, with around two-thirds of it being rock and the rest blue clay.
It said there will be major impacts on geomorphological features, extraction of mineral resources, change in groundwater quality and change in surface runoff patterns. With mitigation measures, the latter two will be reduced to minor impacts.
Although the area is considered to be low-value agricultural land, the project was expected to contribute to the loss of potential agricultural land.
The EIA identified breeding birds and seabird species that will be impacted, particularly the Great Short-Toes Lark. The excessive noise could also impact the nearby Ghadira Nature Reserve.
In terms of the impacts on the marine environment, there was the potential for negative impacts from the removal of concrete platforms and old infrastructure but this could become beneficial if a silt curtain was deployed to protect the sea from debris. It urged other good coastal working practices, including work being carried out in calm sea conditions.
Burial site, knights-era battery
In terms of cultural heritage, the EIA study uncovered a burial site that was currently being studied by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and which may merit full protection status.
The remains of a battery dating back to the knights' era, previously believed to have been lost when the hotel was originally built, will be incorporated into the landscaping.
The most significant environmental gain will be the restoration of almost 5,000 square metres of coastline currently occupied by hotel structures.
NGO representative only member to vote against
ERA chairman Victor Axiak said that although the authority was not objecting to the proposal, it noted the impacts on the geo-environment, landscape and visual amenity, and wider considerations for the effective conservation of the surrounding area to be addressed at source through stringent measures and pre-emptive safeguards.
He observed that there was a lack of detail on how the hotel’s foreground will be returned back to its original state but acknowledged that significant improvement had been made with regard to landscape character and visual amenities when compared to the initial submissions.
Six of the seven board members voted in favour of the project, with the only board member to vote against being NGO representative Martin Galea Degiovanni.