Plans for a new hotel in the heart of Birkirkara’s village core next door to St Helen’s basilica have sparked discussions among residents with no consensus on the building’s positive or negative effects.

“I think it’s not a good project at all,” Birkirkara resident Irene Forster told Times of Malta.

“I don’t see it as a bad thing. If anything, Birkirkara needs something like that,” fellow resident Joe Pavia said, noting that attracting tourists to the city is a good thing.

Situated in an urban conservation area (UCA), the application envisions a four-storey, 38-room hotel on Birkirkara’s Triq Santu Rokku where an unused palazzo currently stands.

The area features historical and cultural value as the St Helen’s basilica, across the road from the proposed hotel, is the heart of Birkirkara’s bi-weekly market, which is held on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Visiting the Friday market, many Birkirkara residents were opposed to the inclusion of a hotel in the area.

“It’s horrible,” Forster said.

“I am all for restoration but according to our Maltese traditions. That, I am sorry to say, is horrible. It’s like a prison camp,” she continued, looking at the computer-generated images of the hotel.

Specifying that the palazzo will be restored and will house 10 of the hotel’s rooms, the application includes two basement levels and a rooftop pool for what is proposed to be a class 3B hotel.

The proposed hotel will transform a palazzo next to St Helen’s basilica, the heart of Birkirkara’s bi-weekly market.

Walking through the stalls of the Friday market, residents, shop owners and visitors discussed the hotel and whether it should be added to their urban landscape.

While most loudly proclaimed that they are against the hotel and its awkward style in context of the surrounding buildings, many were not aware of the hotel and its application.

I am all for restoration but according to our Maltese traditions. That, I am sorry to say, is horrible

Once shown mock-up images of the site, which were submitted to the Planning Authority as part of the application, first impressions of the slanting block aesthetic were far from positive.

“In my eyes, it looks a little bulky,” Doris Bennett said, not a Birkirkara resident but a market regular.

“It’s not the right place for a hotel here,” another shopper said without giving their name.

While others liked the look of the proposal, describing it as something different and new, they were outnumbered by the majority of criticism.

“Yes, why not, it’s something different,” Hilda Fenech said.

Meanwhile, market-stand owners saw positives from the inclusion of a tourist attraction in the locality but noted that money could be better spent elsewhere.

The application also proposes a rooftop pool and two sub-floors.

“It would be better if they clean the place up because it’s dirty, rather than building a hotel,” stall owner Michael Cachia said.

The application was submitted by Karl Ebejer – representing E&TM Company Ltd – in July.

Since Thursday, over 100 representations were submitted in opposition to the plans, many citing the project as “unacceptable” and one that does not fit within a UCA.

“Shame on anyone in favour of such a project,” one objector wrote.

“This will be completely out of character with this historic area,” another wrote.