Building a hotel on the grounds of the Hunters Tower restaurant in Marsaxlokk may yet be possible, if a planning authority brief goes through.

Hunters Tower belongs to former Labour MP John Dalli and in 1998 the planning authority rejected an application for the construction of a three-storey hotel on the site.

The development brief released yesterday for public consultation covers the innermost area of Marsaxlokk harbour and includes the environmentally-sensitive marshland known as Il-Magħluq that borders Hunters Tower.

Proposals should not exceed current two-storey height limitation

The brief says that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority would “favourably” consider tourism-related uses, including “tourism accommodation” in the Hunters Tower area but insists proposals should not exceed the current two-storey height limitation.

Any hotel proposal would have to include a visitor and interpretation centre to cater for the saline marshland, considered a special area of conservation.

The brief proposes a buffer zone between Hunters Tower and the marshland.

“An adequate, soft landscaped buffer between this zone and the saline marshland is appropriate to ensure that visual impacts, noise and light emissions, together with an increased influx of people and cars emanating from the development in this zone do not result in a detriment to the ecology of the marshland area.”

Mepa is also proposing that any hotel development be subjected to “an appropriate assessment”.

The Marsaxlokk local plan identifies the Magħluq part as an “opportunity area” for mixed development that includes restaurants, fishing-related activities and open spaces.

The brief can be viewed on the Mepa website.

Submissions are to be made in writing by February 28.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com