Veċċja caves threatened by nine-storey hotel

The Environment and Resources Authority is insisting on guarantees that a proposed nine-storey hotel at il-Veċċja, will not require “invasive” site stabilization works “which would alter or damage the natural cove, cliff and sea caves” at Għar il-Veċċja.

The 22-room hotel proposed by landowner Josef Muscat is earmarked over an existing terrace on Triq Stella Maris in St Paul’s Bay that will inevitably command views of St Paul’s Islands but intensify construction activity in the vicinity of the protected cove.

Recently the government’s works department presented plans to construct a seawall with the aim of preventing the “collapse of Triq Stella Maris.”

But the plans have already been shot down by ERA which warned that these works entail the destruction of the protected sea cave, which is designated for its scientific importance.

In March, ERA asked for “certification from a geotechnical engineer confirming that the proposed works would not result in damage to the existing caves”.

But in its reaction to the report, ERA noted that the report had not even address its main demand, that is to confirm that the proposed development “can be carried out without requiring invasive site stabilization.”

ERA declared that it was not convinced that the proposed scale of excavation and construction could be accommodated without adverse environmental impacts, concluding that the project “cannot be favourably considered from an environmental point of view”.

The geotechnical report in fact excludes negative impacts resulting from the limited excavation works and states that the proposed building will be at least 2.7m away from the caves.

But the report warns that the building itself will create a load on the fractured rock mass which would require reinforced concrete piles.

The report claims excavation works will be minimal and will be restricted to the uppermost 1.75m of rock. But works will take place on rock that is already naturally unrestrained due to the topography of the shoreline. IT said “restraint due to the excavation is therefore not envisaged to be a problem”.

The report also states that the proposed building will however, create concentrated linear loads that act on the fractured rock mass. “If these are transmitted through simple shallow foundations then the rock mass will be subject to intense stress increments where it is most vulnerable, i.e., above sea level”.

This could be avoided by transferring stress at deeper levels, by making use of reinforced concrete, bored piles that act in both skin friction and end bearing. This will have the additional benefit of consolidating the fractured and friable rock layers.

The report recommends the driling of these piles be preceded by judicious probing through timed, open-hole bores of very small diameter, ensuring every proposed pile location does not intersect “any unseen or unidentified voids that may not have direct connection to the sea and that are therefore currently unidentifiable.”

ERA is also objecting to a separate application by the Public Works Department to construct a rock revetment along the existing friable cliff face, to protect it from further coastal erosion with the aim of avoiding the collapse of Triq Stella Maris and damage to adjacent properties.

ERA is concerned these interventions will result in obliteration of the protected sea cave and the natural cliff, as well as seabed take-up and irreversible impact on the integrity of the cove.