AUM withdraws planning appeal on Bormla campus extension

The American University of Malta has withdrawn an appeal against the Planning Authority’s refusal in 2019 of an application to extend its Bormla campus. 

The application concerned the Knights Building and also included a piece of land in St Paul’s Square, where a student dormitory had to be built.

The land at St Paul’s Square was transferred back to government as part of a new agreement signed last September. AUM was compensated with land at Smart City to compensate for the St Paul’s Square site and the Żonqor area in Marsaskala that were transferred back to the government.
This means that as things stand the AUM’s operations in Bormla will so far be restricted to the British building, which has been in use since 2017.

In a statement on Thursday, AUM said it will be updating its infrastructural master plan following extensive stakeholder meetings with the community and government.

The AUM confirmed it withdrew the appeal it filed in front of the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal.

However, while making reference to the St Paul’s Square site, which has now been transferred back to government, AUM did not say what its plans for the Knight’s Building and its immediate environs are. The planning application from 2019 that was being appealed made reference to redevelopment of the Knight’s Building apart from developing the St Paul’s Square site. 

AUM President Michel Najjar said: “We need to continue with our constant engagement with the community and make sure that the university operates in a considerate manner. In this manner, the university will truly continue to offer added economic, social and educational value.”

What the PA rejected in 2019

The application turned down by the PA in November 2019 foresaw a master plan for a university campus in Bormla that included the construction of an extra floor on top of the Knight Building and re-purposing it for educational purposes. It also foresaw the construction of an administrative building between the British and the Knights building, alterations to the public staircase, the construction of a new educational building along Triq 31 ta' Marzu as a new wing to the Knights Building, apart from the excavation of an existing surface car park at Triq San Pawl to create a multilevel underground parking for 180 cars with student accommodation above.

The application had been originally recommended for approval by the case officer but was met by strong opposition from residents represented by Tuna Artna Lura and government MP Glenn Bedingfield. 

All planning board members had voted against the application. Former board chairperson Vince Cassar, had expressed strong reservations on the extension of the building in front of St Michael’s Fort. “This will obstruct the fortification. I appreciate that this was part of the concession given by government but this should have been thought of before,” Cassar had said.

One of the main reasons given by the Planning Authority board for refusing a permit for its expansive extension in Bormla, on grounds that the new blocks “result in a loss of public open space within an urban area.”

Following the rejection of the application the AUM appealed the PA’s decision.

The land in Bormla including the Knights Building, together with ODZ land in Żonqor were leased to the AUM following a marathon 15-hour long debate in parliament on 15 December 2015. But in June 2022 the government presented two parliamentary resolutions to retake parcels of public land earmarked for AUM in Bormla and Marsaskala in exchange for a plot measuring more than 31,500sq.m at Smart City.