Kurt Sansone
Seabank Hotel gets permit to grow bigger
The Seabank Hotel in Għadira will grow by 340 rooms into an outside development zone at the back of the property after the planning authority board yesterday unanimously approved the plan.
The extension was given the green light after a two-and-a-half hour meeting during which the Planning Directorate recommended approval.
The application was originally filed in 2005 for a low-lying bungalow-style development covering the whole site. On the directorate's recommendation, it was changed into a 10-storey building covering part of the site alongside the Mellieħa bypass.
The development will include a new reception area, landscaped gardens, pools and restaurants. Parts of it will be built below street level and the height will not exceed the existing hotel building.
A representative for hotel owner Silvio Debono argued that the extension was necessary to make the hotel economically viable.
The site lies outside the development zone but the Northwest Local Plan makes allowances for "restrained development".
Environmentalists argued that the development could hardly be described as "restrained" apart from gobbling up agricultural land. They highlighted that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's heritage advisory committee had recommended refusal because of the agricultural land and the possible negative impact on the saline marsh that bordered the development.
However, the developer's consultant, Adrian Mallia, explained that most of the agricultural land was abandoned and the soil was not very deep.
The Mepa board turned down a request from the developer to reduce the amount of money he will have to contribute to the community in the form of a planning gain. However, they did accept his request to stagger the payment of the €150,000 sum.
In addition to the planning gain, the developer is obliged to submit a bank guarantee of €100,000 before works commence to ensure compliance with all permit conditions.
The developer was contractually bound to use the extension only for touristic purposes and the permit will be withdrawn if it ceases to be so. A similar condition was placed on the underground car park for 200 cars. It will have to be used solely for parking and not, for example, be turned into storerooms.
During the meeting, Mellieħa mayor Robert Cutajar spoke in favour of the development as did a number of Mellieħa shopowners and residents.
BirdLife's conservation manager Andrè Raine expressed concern about the impact of light and noise pollution on the bird sanctuary in the area and the important Yelkowan Sheerwater colony at L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa.
Mr Mallia sympathised with Dr Raine's concerns but insisted the extension was shielded by the hotel building and so the light would not impact the Sheerwater colony.
The area already had an element of light and noise pollution, he added, pointing out there were other hotels and buildings near the property.
Mepa chairman Austin Walker said that although the extension impinged on ODZ land, the board was satisfied that the recommendations made by both the environment and planning directorates, on key principles of sustainable development, had been met.
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Daniel Borg
Feb 6th 2010, 09:01
MEPA THE ENVIRONMENT ENGULFER SHAME
Franco Farrugia
Feb 5th 2010, 23:20
@ Joe Vella - As if there isn't dirt in both political parties. So, acc. to you, if something is acceptable to both political parties, it's ok! How mature and wise you are, I don't think!
Silv. Cutajar
Feb 5th 2010, 22:03
@Joe Vella
Wake up, smell the coffee man.
This approved permit stinks more than the CLOSED Maghtab rubbish dump.
Did you know that here we are talking about an illegal encroachment on an ODZ site once again here ?
In 2006 George Pullicino approved the first hnizrija called the rationalisation..... and now what should this further disaster be called?
MEPA has become a can of worms
Mr. Vella, can you quote for me the exact planning policy that justifies this further rape on the natural ODZ environment?
@Austin Walker MEPA
Resign before it is too late!!!!!
@Dr. Gonzi
What are you waiting for?
When is the real reform going to take place?
peter murray
Feb 5th 2010, 21:12
Fine statement Mr .Vella but totally unsupported by any facts or statistical figures to substantiate such a claim.This particular Melliehina,along with a massive number of others ,does not remotely approve of this short-sighted gain at the expense of a long-term loss.It would be enlightening to learn what interests you possess,vested or otherwise,in this project to warrant such a didactic and uncorroborated submission.
Joe Vella
Feb 5th 2010, 18:42
One Development that was supported by both Political Parties. The business community, the adjacent farmers, Past Lejber Mayor and Council, Present Mayor and Council and the Vast majority of Mellehien. Well done MEPA for listening.
Silv. Cutajar
Feb 5th 2010, 17:55
MEPA's arrogant attitude towards the law abiding citizen is becoming a really sick joke. Whoever has got extra money to influence MEPA's decision-making process by using the same old technique, by harping how his grandiose project is going to create jobs, knows no limits.
The environment and the same protection are only buzz words used to impress only those gullible (mzazen) that are present in the regular Sunday morning PRIEDKA in a PN club around Malta.
MIN SUPPOST IWAQQAF DAN ID-DISASTRU LI JISMU MEPA ISSA HASEL IDEJH. How irresponsible.
Franco Farrugia
Feb 5th 2010, 17:14
On what grounds did the Mellieha Mayor take the stand he did? And the other officials present? And who were the people present? What interests did they have in the matter?
Andy Towler
Feb 5th 2010, 14:43
If you have environment and planning in the same department, what do you expect? It's totally ludicrous to have 2 conflicting goals covered by the same government agency, even before you take into account the corruption endemic in the Maltese government.
E. Azzopardi
Feb 5th 2010, 12:53
And other very well known hotels "of the past" are closing doors in winter, besides not even making profits or enough profits in summer. Building hotels does not make you a hotelier.
It is all a matter of good hotel management.
"Il-hobz tieh il min jaf jieklu".
Peter Murray
Feb 5th 2010, 12:48
In the interests of clarity and transparency it would be enlightening tho learn on what grounds or basis precisely did the Mayor of Mellieha(Mr.Robert Cutajar)whom I assume was speaking with the full backing and consent of the Mellieha Local Council,approve of this development?This is especially interesting since apparently this massive construction" impinges on an ODZ site"(MEPA's chairman's (Austin Walker)words-not mine.Moreover, given that this development violates every condition of the Sructure Plan and North-West Local plan except for the contentious "restrained development " and could this possibly be carefully explained and defined to this particular dilettante?It also flies in the face of the recent EEC Destination of Excellence award to the MLC which cited that one of the principal reasons for such an award was for the MLC's an outstanding contribution to preserving the natural heritage and the environment of Mellieha -somewhat paradoxically ,I dare say given,the MLC's support for this development.
Finally,colour me cynical if you will,but is it only me who notices the recent gadarene rush for MEPA to push through large-scale construction projects prior to any potentially restrictive measures regarding such being implemented in the proposed MEPA reforms.Just a thought!
Malcolm Said
Feb 5th 2010, 12:14
how funny just a couple of days ago mepa demolished two rooms in an ODZ and today the same mepa gives permission for 340 rooms also in an ODZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I Cassar
Feb 5th 2010, 12:09
It's amazing how operations that are so successful, and manage to generate so much money as to want to expand, all of a sudden become dependent of that same expansion to be ' economically viable' . Am I the only one to see an implicit contradiction in that?
I said yesterday that defining this application as "restrained development" is a sick joke. As to Austin Walker's opinion I think we all know what sort of vision and environmental sensibility we can expect from him. MEPA is what he wills it to be after all, and we all know how good that is.
“Mellieħa mayor Robert Cutajar spoke in favour of the development as did a number of Mellieħa shopowners and residents”. It is very sad that even the public with an interest in preserving the area expresses approval, probably eyeing some envisaged economic gain which however will be short-term and will vanish much before the hotel does. Sadly their loss is ours too!!
Maybe the council could spend a part of the planning gain money to print photos of the area in its present state which residents can enjoy and then pass on as a legacy to their children.
chris finch
Feb 5th 2010, 12:04
Building in an ODZ? why is such an application even considered?
We can see who the new redirection of the road will benefit.
This all stinks.