Despite all the talks of a project taking place in the area, the situation at the former Jerma Palace hotel in Marsascala seems to have only become worse.

These photos, taken by former Malta Union of Teachers president Kevin Bonello on Saturday, show the sorry state the property currently finds itself in.

Bonello told The Malta Independent that the buildings, which are in a perilous state, are easily accessible to the public, with concrete slabs that are supposed to bar the gates being placed so far apart that it is easy to pass between them.

He said the level of garbage inside the old hotel seems to have increase over the past weeks and months. Bonello said there were signs of recent bonfires and there were other people on the site while he was there, which showed that people still entered the dilapidated complex.

Over the past few years there were recent reports about drug and alcohol abuse taking place at the Jerma. Bonello said he saw many empty alcohol bottles but pointed out that he did not venture too far into the building, because of its unsafe state.

Kevin Bonello said an urgent facelift was needed in the area.

The hotel opened in 1982 and closed down in March 2007. Since then the hotel has been left in a decrepit state.

Last year developers proposed building three high rise towers, in a project that would also include land reclamation. The Planning Authority had said the proposal was a ‘non-starter.’

In a later meeting with thee Marsascala mayor, the developers had proposed either a single 28-storey tower or more density on the existing footprint.

Last year the PA issued an enforcement order on the grounds that the derelict structure presented a danger. However, as can be seen in the pictures taken yesterday, the situation remains unchanged.