Plans to convert the old Imperial Hotel in Sliema into a residence for the elderly, adding two extra storeys and demolishing part of the historic building, are set to be approved by the Planning Authority tomorrow.

The expected approval will override objections by the Sliema local council and heritage NGOs, which say the proposed building is out of touch with its surroundings and will burden the town’s highly strained infrastructure.

The Rudolph Street hotel, which dates back to Victorian times, is a scheduled building and lies within the Sliema urban conservation area.

The building was originally constructed as a villa for an 18th-century Maltese nobleman and was later used as the hunting lodge for the British governors before its current incarnation as a hotel. The original structure has undergone several changes over the years, including to its original entrance.

The proposed conversion into an elderly residence, which is recommended for approval by the PA board, would retain and restore the scheduled property while demolishing part of the building and adding additional storeys.

The application also includes plans to excavate the site to construct car park facilities and other amenities at basement level.

In its objection to the plans, the Sliema local council highlighted the historic value of the edifice and called for further assessment of the proposed partial demolition.

It also argued that the proposed design – featuring aluminium apertures, glass railings and dark grey steel – did not “speak the same architectural language of the streetscape”.

The primary concern, however, is the additional traffic expected to be generated by the project and its effect on the already congested surrounding streets, as well as the impact of the construction process on neighbouring residents.

The proposed height of the building, meanwhile, was flagged by both the council and heritage NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa as being potentially in breach of the area’s planning policy and negatively affecting the surrounding streetscape.

Assessing the objections, the PA case officer said the planned setback of the additional floors would create an adequate transition between the height of the new building and its surroundings, adding that higher buildings already existed further along Rudolph Street.

The case officer also pointed to the clearance the application had received from the Design Advisory Committee, the Heritage Planning Unit and Transport Malta.

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