ADPD-The Green Party has called for the refusal of a proposed hotel development in St Paul's Bay, warning that the project would have serious negative impacts on the surrounding residential community.
Speaking at a press conference held on the site of the former HSBC bank building on Saturday, ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said residents were both surprised and angered by plans to replace the building with an eight-storey hotel. She noted that the area is predominantly residential and already suffers from significant traffic congestion due to the narrow road that runs through it.
Gauci said the locality is also prone to sewage overflows and is expected to experience further pressure on infrastructure with the planned development of a nearby civic centre, which will include a clinic and is likely to increase traffic flow in the area.
She argued that the site is unsuitable for a hotel, pointing out that it is not located in a coastal tourism zone and does not offer sea views, but instead borders a heavily trafficked road. While acknowledging property owners' rights, Gauci said urban planning should prioritise the character of neighbourhoods and respect for residents, adding that the proposed development fails to meet these principles.
Raising broader concerns about sustainability, Gauci questioned how many more tourists Malta can realistically accommodate. She referred to official figures showing that around 3.5 million tourists visited the country in 2024, noting that residents in tourist-heavy areas are increasingly dealing with issues such as waste, noise, sewage problems and congestion.
Gauci criticised what she described as a "pro-business" approach by the government and planning authorities, which she said has encouraged rapid hotel development without adequate long-term planning. She cited the approval of projects in areas with limited road access as an example of this trend.
She also pointed to the cumulative impact of local plans, which she said were never properly assessed to understand how multiple developments together would affect communities. While individual projects may appear acceptable in isolation, Gauci said their combined effect is creating widespread urban and infrastructural problems.
Land-use planning, she said, should focus on protecting communities rather than prioritising individual development rights. Gauci added that such protection is currently lacking both in local plans and in the operations of the Planning Authority.
Concluding, ADPD-The Green Party said the proposed hotel would have adverse effects on the neighbourhood and called on the Planning Authority to refuse the permit.