The Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) has said that the developers behind the controversial hotel planned on Comino will have an obligation to plant 540 new indigenous trees on the island.

The authority issued a statement after uproar as it approved a permit for environmental works to begin on the project – the permit of which is currently under court appeal.

The ERA said that this obligation emerges from the fact that 10 trees must be planted each of the 54 protected trees that will be removed under the proposed development permit for Comino.

“These trees form part of a group of 678 trees and shrubs, mostly oleanders and ornamental palms, that will be removed. Of this group, 92% are not protected tree species,” the ERA said.

“In addition, another 348 trees, all but seven of which are protected, will be transplanted within the same site,” the authority added.

It said that the applicant is legally required to plant 10 trees from the same Maltese genetic stock for every tree that is not successfully transplanted.

“These plans, covered by the development permit for Comino, are supported by ERA’s scientific expertise as well as the findings of the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by the applicant, which examined the impacts of the project, including those on trees and vegetation,” the ERA said.

“These obligations ensure that mitigation and compensation measures, also informed by scientific studies, are in place to minimise environmental impacts resulting from these interventions,” it added.

NGO Moviment Graffitti had said that the authority was set to approve the removal of around 800 trees to facilitate the construction of the hotel, adding that granting the permit before the court challenge on the planning permit is concluded would be premature and could lead to irreversible environmental damage.

Developers HV Hospitality, a subsidiary of Hili Group, rejected those claims, describing the figure of 800 trees as inaccurate and saying that 550 out of the 600 native and protected trees on the site will be transplanted.

In reaction to Friday’s decision, Graffitti said: “if Hili Group starts tearing Comino apart with construction works while our court case challenging the PA permit is still ongoing, they should expect a fierce fight. We will not let them destroy Comino. Take Albania as a warning.”