ERA approves doubling of Mellieha Bay hotel

The Environment and Resources Authority approved the impact assessment reports in relation to the demolition and redevelopment of the Mellieħa Bay Hotel.

The ‘no objection’ comes despite the project’s adverse impact on the landscape being confirmed by the project’s Environment Impact Assessment.

The EIA had concluded that “major adverse impacts” from five different viewpoints, as well as from l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa and Torri l-Aħmar, would be further compounded by the extraction of over 122,000 cubic metres of excavation material.

Brian Mizzi’s development will see the hotel footprint double from 7,000 to 15,000 square metres, while the gross floor area will jump from 26,000 to 50,000sq.m.

The directorate said it does not object to this proposal, but noted the impacts to the geo-environment, landscape and visual amenity, and wider considerations for the effective conservation of the surrounding area to be addressed at source “through stringent measures and pre-emptive safeguards”.

Conditions proposed by the ERA directorate include a lighting plan in line with Birdlife Malta and Nature Trust guidelines after approval by ERA.

Yet although the latest proposal represents a 4,000sq.m reduction in footprint when compared to the original proposal, the latest photomontages are only marginally different from the original issued when the EIA was conducted.

In a press statement issued on Friday, ERA said its board noted that the development had improvements made from the initial submissions.

 “It is confined to the area already occupied by the existing built development and its ancillary landscaping and infrastructure. Moreover, by requesting the developers to shift the development away from the coast, and additional changes, about 4,500 m2 will be restored to its original state and returned to the public, also shifting the development away from the coast, allowing for its restoration,” the statement read.

The hotel will increase beds from 313 to 359, have five restaurants, two bars and two pool bars, all spread across 11 interconnected blocks ranging from one to seven storeys.

The most significant environmental gain will be the restoration of 4,488 sq.m of coastline currently occupied by hotel structures by shifting the footprint of the development northwards.