Ulysses Lodge project appeal in the balance

The planning authority's appeals board is today expected to decide whether to continue hearing the appeal over the controversial villa project at Ulysses Lodge, in Ramla Bay.

During a sitting last February, the developers were given an ultimatum to pay their pending fee by May or lose their appeal. The developers had failed to pay the appeal fee of €186 or five per cent of the planning application fees paid previously, whichever was higher. In the follow-up meeting in May, it was established that the developer had not yet paid the fee in full. That meeting was put off to today. In July 2007, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority had granted a permit for the development of Ulysses Lodge, overlooking Ramla l-Ħamra, a 23-unit villa complex. Four months later, the Mepa board unanimously revoked the full outline and development permit after it found that a tract of land within the proposed site was government property.

Last July, the appeals board, presided over by Ian Spiteri Bailey, put off the case to November after it was informed that the developers had failed to pay the fees required to file the appeal.