Hotel instead of Hunters Tower in Marsaxlokk gets green light

The Hunters Tower restaurant in Marsaxlokk is set to transform into a 125-room hotel after the Planning Authority gave its green light this morning.

The hotel will be built over three floors and a receded fourth level, in the immediate vicinity of the Il-Magħluq marshland.

The decision today was for an outline permit, which accepts the principle of the development but the PA will still have to approve a full permit.

The outline permit was approved with nine votes in favour and two against. Environmental groups representative Annick Bonello and marine archaeologist Timothy Gambin voted against.

The Marsaxlokk council voted in favour but insisted on a planning gain to be used for the restoration of the marshland.

Gambin expressed reservations on approving an outline permit before a full permit as this could condition the final decision with regards to the massing and volume of project.

He also insisted on a full archaeological investigation of the “entire site” before a full permit is issued. This was included in the conditions of the permit. 

Bonello appreciated the efforts of the developer to safeguard the adjacent marshland but expressed concern on the massing of the project and its visual impact, which was the most controversial aspect of the project.

The design of the hotel will be addressed at a later stage when the developer applies for a full development permit.

Nobody from the public attending the meeting spoke for or against the project. 

Both the Environment and Resources Authority and the PA’s design advisory committee had expressed concern on the visual impact but the planning directorate concluded that the visual impact was acceptable and recommended the project for approval. 

The project architect repeatedly justified the proposal on the basis of a development brief for the area proposed in 2013 which was approved in 2017, which identified the area for tourism development.

He also emphasised the measures taken to safeguard the adjacent protected marshland. He also insisted that the hotel will visually merge with the marsaxlokk landscape and skyline. Shadowing on the protected area was limited by extending the buffer zone between hotel and marshland. 

All board members except Desiree Cassar and Labour MP Clayton Bartolo were present for the decision. PN representative Marthese Portelli voted in favour.