Tribunal confirms rejection of Wied Għomor hotel

An appeals tribunal has confirmed a decision by the Planning Authority in 2021 to reject the conversion of two Wied Għomor villas into a hotel.

The two residential villas, both with swimming pools instead of a dilapidated structure, were approved by successive permits in 2017 and 2018 on the basis of the rural policy which permits the conversion of dilapidated ruins in to dwelling if proof of past residential use is provided. Subsequently an application was submitted to turn the villas in to 12-room guest house

But the guest house was already accepting bookings before the PA’s decision, which was originally recommended for approval by the case officer.

But in 2021 the Planning Commission had ruled that the change of use to a hotel was in breach of the rural policy which only allows a change of use of existing structures if this results in wider environmental benefits to the area in which these are located.

Moreover, it said the conversion would lead to intensification of activity in the area, especially through the generation of traffic and the exacerbation of existent parking problems.

In its decision the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal confirmed that the conversion of the villas in to a hotel would result in the intensification of use which is not beneficial to the environment, when considering the ecological sensitivity of the Wied Għomor valley.

The Tribunal noted that the increase in bed occupancy would inevitably increase traffic and air pollution in the area.

In the appeal applicant Karl Camilleri argued that the hotel can be accessed from an already asphalted road and would not result in any traffic in the protected valley.