The development application for the construction of an 8-storey hotel in St. Paul's Bay Veccia area, at no. 30, Stella Maris Steet (PA/05587 of 2021), has been withdrawn, the Planning Authority said Friday.

This withdrawal was requested by the applicant’s architect during today’s hearing before the Planning Commission.

The project, which was already recommended for refusal by the Planning Authority, consisted of the removal and an excavation beneath the front terrace of an existing groundfloor maisonette; the works entailed the construction of a 22-room, Class 3B 3-star hotel with an overlying receded floor and an underlying basement floor.

The proposed hotel was planned to include a restaurant, gym, and rooftop swimming pool, among other amenities, the PA said.

According to the Planning Commission, the proposed development, while adjacent to an Urban Conservation Area (UCA), ran counter to the provisions of policy NWUS 3 of the North West Local Plan, which does not list Class 3B hotels as an acceptable use. The proposed works also ran counter to the Height Limitation Adjustment Policy for Hotels (2014).

Furthermore, the project's proposed treatment of the resulting blank party walls was not deemed satisfactory. In this regard, the project plans conflicted with Urban Objective 4 of the SPED, which aims to ensure that all new developments improve the pleasantness of the area.