The Mepa planning board has approved a permit to demolish the disused Forum Hotel in St Julian's and replace it with houses and apartments.

All the board members voted in favour except for Victor Axiaq.

The application was to demolish the hotel and build 25 houses, 78 apartments, offices, a supermarket and underground garages on the site.

The gutted, 142-room hotel and its three pools, tennis and squash courts and pool bar lie on a footprint of about 11,300 square metres. The plans are to construct a main block of two and three-bedroom apartments and blocks of houses, with a maximum height of three storeys, some with pools.
A number of residents raised their concerns and complaints especially during a separate planning control application to introduce a new road opening to Triq L-Uqija to create access to the Forum hotel site. Their concerns revolved around increasing the road level, which would create problems of water run-off, they said,

Former EU Commissioner Joe Borg, a resident, said they had nothing against the project "but we need to safeguard the our interests".

He suggested moving the outlet of the new road further down, which would make a great difference to the residents especially because of the water run-off.
Justin Fenech, deputy mayor of Swieqi, said the project was given a waiver from doing and environmental impact assessment. "There is nothing wrong but keep in mind the residents' concerns especially where it comes to traffic," he said.

There would be an effect on the area in water run-off, because part of the road level would be made higher and studies were needed on the area.
When asked by deputy chairman Sandra Magro whether the authority carried out a consultation process with Transport Malta over the planning control application, the case officer said that no. "We took the reply the authority gave us for the planning application."

The project includes a supermarket and offices on the part of the property along Uqija Street. It is estimated the total built-up area will be of 27,000 square metres.
The site will also be excavated to create underground parking spaces and garages.

Project architect Joseph Bondin said the development would also ease the traffic problem created by Greens Supermarket in a nearby square as this would be relocated to the site. Also, the area would be rehabilitated - a move that was welcomed by lawyer Matthew Brincat who spoke on behalf of around 60 residents in Uqija Street.

The project only took used of 50 per cent of the development allows by the local plan, he added.