Hotels can build two extra floors as height limitations are relaxed

Parliamentary secretary Michael Farrugia today announced that hotels in tourist zones will be eligible to apply to build an extra two floors.

The policy was announced back in October 2012. The hotels that can benefit from this new policy must be in Mellieha, St Pauls Bay, Bugibba, Qawra, St Julian's, Paceville, Sliema, Marsascala, Marsaxlokk and Birzebbuga. Hotels in Gozo will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The new policy limited to within development zones which are outside Urban Conservation Areas or Residential Priority Areas.

The "overall built mass" should not exceed the height limitation set by the local plan  by more than two floors, but the MEPA policy document also refers to the application of the floor area ratio, which could result in even higher development.

The policy also proposes that the new height limit should not be employed in tourist areas where the maximum height limitation is less than four floors unless this is already compromised by taller buildings.

The policy emphasises the need for hotels to constantly upgrade facilities to remain competitive. It also refers to the fact that hotels seeking to provide new facilities have to compensate this by more revenue-generating activities.

The policy warns that the height adjustment policy should only be used with great discretion, given that a resulting building may create an unacceptably massive intervention. "To this effect, great discretion should be used in areas which happen to be close to local ridge lines," the MEPA policy states, as this could have a disproportionate effect on longer distance views.

The new policy allowing hotels to surpass existing height policies comes in the wake of another more generic policy to introduce a flexibility clause that allows MEPA to better assess development application proposals which promote sustainable growth in Tourism Areas, as well as regeneration and employment consolidation initiatives that may be neighbourhood-compatible, and in some cases could also positively contribute to the amenity of the areas in question.