While the PN wants something to be done about the site of the former Jerma Palace hotel in Marsascala and does not want it to remain abandoned given the terrible state it is in, it has no clear opinion as to how it should be developed, be it a public garden or a hotel.

PN Spokesperson for Planning Ryan Callus told this newsroom that the party never discussed the different possible options, given that it is private property, but took the position that it cannot remain in its present state. “Although it is private property, we cannot accept having buildings in such a prime position left abandoned in a dilapidated state. It harms the area and is an inconvenience for residents. If it is turned into a flourishing hotel or public open space, which would require expropriation is another question. What is for sure is that we are against it remaining abandoned,” he said

Recently a vote was taken by the local council on what the mayor called ‘the principle of the development’, which saw six councillors vote in favour, one against and one abstained. The interesting part however, is that the PN had councillors on both sides of the fence; PN councillor Charlot Cassar voted against, one voted in favour and a third, who was abroad at the time of the vote, is said to be in favour. Cassar has expressed his disappointment that his fellow PN councillors were in favour of the project.

Cassar has been pushing for the site to be turned into a public open space. He had put forward such a recommendation before the council, but lost the vote four to three. He then took the matter to the Consultative Council of the South, recommending that government purchase the land and turn it into such a space. Cassar was the PN’s representative in that situation. Explaining that situation, Ryan Callus, said it was solely Charlot Cassar’s initiative “but the PN never objected to it”.

Ryan Callus was asked whether there was any PN directive in place regarding the vote, given the split on the issue within the council; in response he said that in most cases regarding planning issues, the party leaves councillors at liberty to reflect the aspirations of their locality, given that the councillors would know more about their locality’s needs.

The big question – what is to become of the Jerma Hotel site? – has been a topic of debate for many years. More recently, three towers, the tallest being 44 floors, were proposed. This was later changed, and the council was presented with two options one of which would have had a 28-storey tower. Now however, plans seem to have changed again.

The newest proposal is for a 13-storey building housing a hotel, reducing the height to seven storeys for apartments. The total developable area stands at 61,100 square metres; however, the proposal would have a building footprint of 7,000sqm. The proposal does not seem to have been submitted to the Planning Authority so far.

Marsascala Mayor Mario Calleja told The Malta Independent yesterday that the vote was on the principle of the development. “If they change something we will go against, we only agreed on the principle.” He said that from the information they were given, the plans include a lot of public space, and that public dominium was looked after. “From a developable footprint of 18,000 sq.m. they are only building 7,000 sq.m.” He said that 60 per cent of the site would be a hotel, and 40 per cent would be residential apartments.

Last November, this newsroom published images showing the state of the current site. These photos, taken by former Malta Union of Teachers president Kevin Bonello, showed the sorry state of the property. Bonello told this newsroom 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 had said that the level of garbage inside the old hotel seems to have increased 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.