Hotel eyes Bormla library terrace where children play

A newly-approved hotel want to erect tables and chairs for a cafeteria on the rooftop of Bormla’s public library.

The library’s rooftop presently serves as a small public square, accessible from a public staircase and the surrounding streets and alleys, where children from the neighbourhood often congregate to play.

The hotel on Triq l-Oratorju, which has yet to open its doors, was approved by the Planning Authority in 2020. But now the owners have applied for a change of use of a breakfast area located on the ground floor of the hotel, into a cafeteria whose 32sq.m seating area will be located on the terrace.

“It will be a pity if a space that children use to play (safe from cars) is occupied by tables and chairs, not to mention that it is situated right in the heart of a residential area,” one of the more than 50 residents, sending written objections to the Planning Authority said. The objectors include former Labour candidate Yana Mintoff Bland, daughter of the erstwhile PM Dom Mintoff.

Curiously, in the application presented by Maria Baldacchino, the hotel owners declare that they are the full owners of the site in question. MaltaToday has asked the Lands Authority to verify whether this is the case and whether any tenders have been issued to transfer ownership of the terrace to private interests. No reply was received by the time of going to print.

Asked by MaltaToday on the local council’s stance on this issue, executive secretary Duncan Hall, who replied on behalf of mayor Marco Agius, said the council is still discussing the proposal. “We would be able to inform you of our official position once a formal decision from our end would have been taken.”

MaltaToday also asked the council whether it had ever consented to the transfer of public land on top of the library to the hotel owners. But no reply was given to this particular question.

In an objection to the development, Jorg Sicot on behalf of Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar questioned the declaration of ownership. “The application gives no indication as to when and how the public roof space above the Bormla Library was transferred to the applicant, for use as a privately run commercial establishment.”

The FAA spokesperson told MaltaToday that the take-up of this area by commercial interests contrasts with the government commitment to increase open spaces in densely populated urban areas.

In its detailed objection, FAA noted that the terrace “offers a safe haven from the road for children to play, whilst waiting for their parents to pick them up” while parents also wait on the terrace for the arrival of their children from neighbouring schools.

Residents also told MaltaToday that some of the bedrooms of houses in the area are just four metres away from the proposed outside catering area. Residents also fear that noise from the catering establishment will resonate in the dead-end alleys to the left and right of the terrace.

Other residents expressed concern on the impact of the development on the library itself.

“The Bormla library, which lies underneath, is especially important for a long-disadvantaged community and it should not be subjected to loud gatherings of people and the further noise and commotion of delivery trucks and cleaners,” one of the residents said.

Residents also fear late evening hotel events would be be disruptive in an area with elderly residents and young families who cherish peaceful evenings.

3Cities Auberge Ltd, which owns another hotel in the area, is also objecting to this application. While noting that competition is healthy and that they had not presented any objection to the hotel approved in 2020, they are concerned with the loss of public space and the proximity of the seating area to the hotel’s own rooms.

“We ourselves enjoy the quiet streets and the local community so much so that we did not just invest a lot of money, time and effort into restoring a historic house of character… we also chose to live here… we devoted ourselves to become part of the community and to live in this quite unassuming street.” For this reason, they said they were also objecting to “the take-up of public space”.