Din l-Art Ħelwa has urged government and the Planning Authority to defer next week's hearing on the proposed Grand Hotel Excelsior extension, warning that a decision should not be taken while Malta's bid to extend its UNESCO World Heritage Site boundaries is still being evaluated.
The application, PA/10444/18, concerns a proposed extension to the Grand Hotel Excelsior, including a new eight-storey block. The Planning Authority hearing is scheduled for 16 July.
In a statement, Din l-Art Ħelwa said the hearing should be postponed because Malta's nomination to extend the World Heritage Site boundary to include the Knights' fortifications is currently under formal evaluation by ICOMOS, UNESCO's advisory body.
A technical mission from ICOMOS was recently in Malta to assess the nomination dossier and is expected to submit its report shortly.
The heritage NGO said the Heritage Impact Assessment carried out for the Excelsior extension only assessed the impact on the existing, narrower World Heritage property of Valletta.
However, it noted that in January, government formally submitted a nomination to extend the Valletta World Heritage Site boundary to become the Maltese Fortifications of the Knights of St John.
Din l-Art Ħelwa said this proposed expanded boundary explicitly includes the harbour fortifications on the Marsamxett side, which form the setting of the proposed hotel extension.
DLĦ Executive President Patrick Calleja said it "defies logic and common sense" to take a final decision on a project of this scale while UNESCO experts are evaluating the same heritage values that could be affected by the development.
"The HIA is fundamentally outdated. It is based on the old terms of reference and fails to consider the immense new significance of the site within the proposed expanded World Heritage property," Calleja said.
He warned that proceeding with the hearing at this stage would mean "gambling" with Malta's international reputation and the success of its own UNESCO nomination.
Din l-Art Ħelwa said the proposed extension has already been identified as having an "unacceptable" visual impact on Valletta's fortifications by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the Planning Authority's Design Advisory Committee.
The NGO added that the Heritage Impact Assessment itself acknowledges moderate adverse impacts on visual integrity, the historic urban landscape and the wider setting of the World Heritage City.
Din l-Art Ħelwa called on government and the Planning Authority to defer the hearing until the UNESCO evaluation process for the fortifications nomination is complete.