An application to redevelop the Mellieha Bay Hotel has been recommended for approval by the assigned case officer.
The site in question is subject to two planning applications, one to demolish the site, and a second to construct a new hotel.
The proposed hotel would consist of a total of 359 guestrooms, “with a large variety of amenities which include restaurants, bars, outdoor pools, tennis court, futsal pitch and children play areas. These would be housed in 11 interconnected blocks of varying heights of between one to seven-storeys, which also include one basement level as viewed from the seaward side, which is the lowest level,” the case officer’s report reads.
The site is located on the northern shore of Ghadira – Mellieha Bay and it is located outside the development zone. “The whole site occupies an approximate area of 16.3 hectares, whilst the existing Mellieha Bay Hotel complex occupies an area of approximately of 42,813 square metres. The existing hotel is organized in seven blocks, of which some are interconnected and range between three and five storeys in height. The hotel, which ceased operation in 2019, consists of 313 guest rooms and ancillary facilities, which consists of restaurants, two outdoor swimming pools, an indoor pool, two children’s playgrounds and two tennis courts,” the report reads.
The report adds that the area surrounding the existing hotel is primarily characterized with undeveloped land in relatively natural state, which consists of active and inactive agricultural land, areas of garigue and afforested areas. The area also includes a camp site and a beach bar.
The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) had a concern about the proposed development. The case officer’s report notes that while the SCH argued that the site and the immediate vicinity of the site is characterised with several non-scheduled cultural heritage features and that the proposal would not be a threat to these features (thus conditions which also include monitoring conditions and a Bank Guarantee were imposed), but “the SCH, together with the Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee (CHAC) argued that the proposal exceeds the existing development in terms of volumes, resulting in an increased negative impact on the surrounding landscape in comparison to the existing hotel.”
The Design Advisory Committee (DAC) had separately said that it is “concerned about the increase in height and extent of the proposed hotel vis-à-vis the existing building which has a considerable impact on its surroundings. The disparity caused by the different styles and materials being proposed is another concern,” the case officer’s report notes.
It also noted however, that following an Environment Impact Assessment, the Environment and Resources Authority “found no objection, subject to a number of conditions.”
The case officer noted that the proposal seeks the upgrading of an existing pre-1968 hotel to the modern standards to conform with the current MTA guidelines. The report noted that “the existing Mellieha Bay Hotel Complex occupies an area of approximately 42,813 square metres, of which approximately 15,635 square metres are located outside the Area for Restrained Redevelopment. The proposed development occupies an area of 42,145 square metres, of which approximately 12,329 square metres is outside the Area for Restrained Redevelopment.”
However, the Gross Floor Area of the proposal (50,674 sqm) is more than what there is currently (26,705 sqm), the Environment Impact Assessment shows.
The case officer’s report also read: “The EIA process concluded that the proposal would have a major impact on the landscape character of the area and in terms of visual amenity. However, taking into consideration other issues, which include the no objection from ERA, the existing hotel commitment, the reduction of the area located outside the Area for Restrained Redevelopment, the overall improvement of the Maltese Tourist product and conforming with a number of SPED objectives, the overall proposal is being favourably recommended.”
“In its’ Assessment and Recommendation Report, ERA argued that significant improvements have been made with regards to landscape character and visual amenity compared to the initial submissions, since a reduction in the massing has been presented. However, ERA still concluded that the proposal ‘would result in a major visual impact that will substantially alter the aesthetics of the natural surroundings in a very negative way,’” the case officer said. “A similar conclusion was also made by SCH and DAC.
However, considering the position of the development boundary, the building profile that stretches along the coast as well as the terraced topography of the site, it renders any proposal highly visible from several vantage points. Thus, the Development Management Directorate is considering: The upgrade of the existing hotel, to be up to the current MTA’s guidelines; The increase in the quality of the overall tourism product of the Maltese Islands; The reduction of the footprint located outside the area for restrained development; A no objection from ERA; That the existing recreational facility is upgraded and the experience of the public’ rural experience is enhanced as requested in SPED Rural Objective 2; The rehabilitation of parts of the site in line with SPED Rural Objective 5; And the provision of an upgraded existing tourism product by increasing the public access of the coast as per SPED Coastal Objective 3. Thus, the Development Management Directorate is considering the overall impact of the proposal, in terms of its' final recommendation of this proposal.”
The application is expected to go before the PA board in March.