A planning application that would see the old British hospital building in Mtarfa rehabilitated and turned into an international school is set to be decided by the Planning Authority on Thursday.
The applicant is Haileybury Malta Ltd. Parliament MPs had approved a 40-year concession agreement to transfer the property to Haileybury Malta Ltd in 2019. On the day of the concession signing, Martin Collier, Master of Haileybury UK, said that he is delighted that this agreement will see the opening of the first European Haileybury partner school in Malta, which will join several other partner schools around the world.
“This full development permission application proposes the restoration and rehabilitation of the existing three-storey school building located within the former Sir David Bruce Royal Naval Hospital. The application is proposing the creation of kindergarten, junior school and senior school classrooms, sixth form centre, music rooms, library, media centre, theatre/drama room/dance studio and administrative offices; a kitchen area and relative storage at basement level,” the case officer’s report reads.
“Internal alterations will include changes to internal layout, the construction of an extension and demolition of later accretions. The application is also proposing amendments to landscaping and allotment of parking provisions and the restoration of the existing Grade 1 chapel present on site.”
The application was also proposing excavation works to build ancillary facilities for the school such as a football pitch, art rooms, a sports hall, gym, pool and laboratory. “Such works, however, have not been fully accepted by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage since further archaeological investigation is required. Therefore, although considered in the assessment, they are not forming part of its approved interventions.”
The site covering an area of approximately 27,000sqm and falling within the area of Mtarfa was originally constructed as an ex-military medical institute dating back to 1915-20.
It is the former Royal Navy Hospital of Mtarfa, otherwise known as the Sir David Bruce Royal Naval Hospital.
“During World War II, the hospital was restructured and extended. The modifications included underground excavation to increase the capacity of the hospital,” the case officer’s report continues.
The building consists of three floors formed by different various building blocks all connected by a common passageway forming a single building complex, the report reads. “The three-storey façade of this building is austere and reflects the British Military Building style.”
The site also includes gardens which surround the whole built up area and a chapel dedicated to St Oswald. “This building complex was converted into a school in 1986. This led to the partial modification of the original site with the addition of minor accretions to adapt the building complex to the new use. Currently the site is being used on a temporal basis to accommodate various Government offices.
“The whole site is scheduled as a Grade 2 building for its architectural and historical importance. The chapel of St. Oswald is scheduled as Grade 1 building.”
The report reads that “no relevant changes are proposed to the existing facades of the building which will be restored. Restoration works will also regard the main boundary wall and the Grade 1 St. Oswald’s chapel.”
The case officer recommended that the application be approved.
According to the Haileybury Malta website, the size of the school will be designed to have an initial student population of about 276 students but there will be room for expansion to 640.
The main shareholder of Haileybury Malta Ltd is Atlantic Education Alliance Limited, which is a company jointly owned by RTG Holdings LTD (of which Ruth Trapani Galea is the shareholder) and Stanley Logistics LTD, a company based in the UK.