The Planning Authority this evening said it will be appealing four decisions taken yesterday by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) and that it will effectively the Court of Appeals.

They concern: the enforcement notices issued by the Authority against the owners the former Mistra Village Holiday Complex in Xemxija; likewise of the former Jerma Palace; the refusal of planning permissions for the development of a tourist village at Hondoq ir-Rummien; and the development of warehouses on ODZ land in Kirkop.

In 2016, the Planning Authority had issued enforcement notices (ECF392/16 and ECF389/16) on the sites of the former Mistra Village Holiday Complex in Xemxija and the former Jerma Palace Hotel in Marsascala. The Authority had noted that these two large sites, in prominent locations, have both been left abandoned and in disarray for years resulting in becoming an injury to the amenity. The Authority, through the enforcement notice, had requested the land owners to address the injury to amenity that is resulting from the abandoned state of the structures on site.

In 2016, the Planning Board unanimously voted against granting an outline development permit for the construction of a destination port comprising of a hotel, a yacht marina and a tourist village. The Board had cited that the project goes counter to the SPED's vision for Gozo, that of being an ecological Island. The Planning Board had also refused planning permission for the construction of over 30 warehouses in the rural area of Kirkop.