FAA lambasts Planning Authority over Milner Street hotel permit

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar and the Sliema Local Council organised a press conference in Sliema, objecting to the development of a hotel in Milner Street and lambasting Planning Authority over intention to grant permit.

Astrid Vella, Coordinator of Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar outlined how the application to build a nine-storey hotel in Milner Street was recommended for refusal by the Planning Authority’s Case Officer, since, “The proposed hotel is not one of the allowable uses within residential areas and is therefore counter to North Harbours Local Plan which limits uses to those compatible with residential areas.” 

She mentioned how the Case Officer highlighted the application exceeds the extra floors permitted to hotels and said would create a prohibited blank party wall.  "The Planning Authority Commission intends to approve it, in spite of the fact that just a few weeks ago, the Planning Tribunal revoked a hotel permit since it would cause bad neighbourliness with noise, traffic and congestion."

The PA Commission also dismissed Transport Malta’s very rare objection re lack of garage space and the lack of street parking bays, cavalierly claiming that the congestion created by tourist buses and delivery vans would not impact residents.  

Astrid Vella compared this to a number of permits issued recently, including the Fortina/Captain Morgan pontoon in Balluta and all the  permits that "are destroying Gozitan villages and landscapes".

She repeatedly mentioned that this should not be blamed on Planning Authority employees but on those in charge, accusing the authorities of duping the people, “A stench of corruption hangs over the PA”. 

Paul Radmilli, Sliema Local Councillor insisted lobbying should be eliminated, arguing the processing of applications has been corrupted by secret dealings and by developers picking the fragments of policy that suit them, without the PA assessing the whole context.

He explained how the different planning policies – Local Plans, the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development and Design Guidance were rendered "toothless" by the Flexibility Policy that he said allows PA board members to overrule policies at whim.  

“This Milner Street case is symptomatic of all that is wrong with the Planning Authority – if they get it wrong in Sliema, they get it wrong everywhere. The interpretation of that policy will be used all over the island,” Dr Radmilli concluded. 

The FAA team concluded by raising the point that high buildings in narrow streets trap traffic emissions which contribute to asthma, heart conditions, strokes, cancer and dementia, “ however politicians don’t care about residents’ health and quality of life”.