Objection to Midi change of use of proposed hotel

The Sliema Residents Association (SRA) said today that it supports the Sliema Local Council in its objection to an application for the change of use of a tower block that was intended to become a hotel within the MIDI Tigne project but may now be built as yet more residential apartments.

"SRA shares and supports the concern of the SLC regarding the overdevelopment of this area which is home to some 13,000 residents. The adverse effects of such development pressure are not only in respect of the visual impact, but also in terms of the serious side effects for residents' health and quality of life in Sliema," the association said.

It said the closure of hotels showed that Malta did not need more hotels. Furthermore, MEPA itself had said in the 2006 North Harbours Local Plan that Sliema was already overdeveloped and could not handle major additions.

The Sliema Residents' Association urged Mepa to reconsider this (Tigne) high impact project, insisting that Sliema's infrastructure was already stretched beyond capacity and would not cope.