Information regarding the proposed redevelopment of the Mellieħa Bay Hotel overlooking Għadira bay, has been partly published. The official plans relating to the actual planning application itself are not yet accessible to the public. What is available is a Project Description Statement; a document that provides a general breakdown of the proposal and its potential impacts, as part of the initial phases of the Environmental Impact Assessment.
Anyone following media reports would have been aware of the intention to redevelop this site. There had already been announcements about the closure of the existing establishment, that finally shut its doors to guests in October 2019. Still, knowing, or expecting the news of some major development to take its place does not make the inevitable any more comforting.
The request for planning permits concerning the redevelopment has been subdivided. The application in fact being discussed at this point pertains to ‘phase 1’ of the proposed redevelopment which would include and be limited to the demolition of the existing building. It does not include the request for the redevelopment itself.
This would not be the first time that developers have broken down a development application into several requests, possibly to get the process in motion at a faster pace. Of course, it being somewhat commonplace does not render it free of controversy.
By breaking down the process of applying for a major development one is also compartmentalizing the assessment of the resultant environmental impacts, making it harder to equate the real impact of the development once complete. Breaking down the planning process may also be seen as a means of paving the way for the eventual planned development by almost rendering the final proposal a done deal, since the approval of the demolition of the existing building conditions the approval of a replacement building, almost consequentially.
Most of the major redevelopment will be within the area designated for ‘Restrained Redevelopment’ of tourism related activities. A significant portion of the project will however spill over beyond this boundary and partly into an area designated and protected as one of Ecological Importance. According to the Local Plans concerning the area, the establishment of new tourism related facilities should be prohibited outside the identified areas.
The site also lies partly within an Area of High Landscape Value. The consultants who prepared the Project Description Statement on behalf of the developers, have commented on the visual impact of the proposed development in a rather positive light. They acknowledge that there would be modifications to the ‘appearance and character’ of the project. The consultants go on to suggest that these changes would most likely be beneficial since the existing building, having a strong linearity due to its ‘uniform roofscape and form’, will be replaced by a cluster of blocks having varied heights, which ‘could serve for better visual integration’. The consultants’ assertion is that the new buildings with staggered roofs would better complement the natural landscape, however this argument fails to give any regard to scale.
In this case the buildings’ land coverage will almost triple, increasing by over 12,000 square meters from 7,044 square meters to 19,170 square meters. The new buildings will not only expand horizontally, but (as is generally the case in Malta) will also extend vertically to provide for the massive increase of floor space, more than doubling from today’s 26,705 square meters, to a whopping 61,008 square meters.
The proposed redevelopment (from what could be gathered from the limited photomontage available) is hardly an architectural feat. Also, the existing building’s style, being contemporary to its period, may merit it appreciation as a building of architectural value in its own right. Is the complete demolition of this building, as opposed to attempts at refurbishment, necessary?
Redevelopment generally means bigger buildings, which are not necessarily better. Can this scenic bay handle such a major redevelopment? Won’t further formalization through such a project hinder its relatively quaint nature? There’s also the issue of demand for such projects. The MHRA president has repeatedly warned about an oversupply within the accommodation sector. With so many approved hotels and guesthouses already in the pipeline, is compromising one of Malta’s most picturesque bays for yet more rooms for tourists really justifiable?
Tara Cassar is an architect focusing on planning policies and environmental issues related to land-use, active with a number of local eNGOs.
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