Gozo NGOs ask MEPA board to refuse Hondoq developers’ appeal

The planning authority's appeals tribunal is to decide on 2 May whether to accept new plans for the development at Hondoq ir-Rummien, the picturesque Gozitan bay outside Qala, without a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) being submitted.

Originally, developers Gozo Prestige wanted to build marina and a 5-star hotel, with 200 apartments. In the new proposal there is no marina, and only 143 apartments.

The Moviment Harsien Hondoq, which opposes the project, said that the new proposal cannot be viable for the developers without a marina, and has questioned the motives for the development. Objections to the project also came from MEPA's Directorate of Environment Protection, the MEPA Natural Heritage Panel, Transport Malta, and the Maltese catholic archdiocese's own environment commission.

85% of Qala's residents also voted against the project in a referendum, which was backed by  over 4,400 people signing a petition against it.

"MEPA has already commented in the EIA that several hotels have been demolished to make way for apartments, an indication that there are sufficient hotels available," MHH's Paul Buttigieg said.

"Considering that the developers themselves bring into question the viability of the new proposal, with MEPA saying that another hotel is really not sustainable or necessary, we ask that MEPA refuses the appeal.

"If permission were to be given for the hotel and apartments, this would be allowing an urban development in a designated outside development zone, setting a dangerous precedent for all the Maltese islands," Buttigieg said.