The planning authority has discovered that the extensive works carried on the new casino at the Intercontinental Hotel in St Julian’s did not require any planning permit after all, not even the simplified Development Notification Order.
The latest Mepa declaration contradicts its own statement made just four days earlier when it said that the new casino required a DNO instead of a full development permit.
A DNO is a faster process which generally applies to minor developments but still takes into account mandatory planning safeguards.
Casino developers Eden Leisure Group withdrew their application for a full development permit on the advice of Mepa’s CEO Johann Buttigieg as according to Mepa, they only needed a DNO. A spokesman for Mepa explained that following their full development application filed in September, Eden Leisure had presented new plans.
“Following their (new) submissions, the proposed development is no longer subject to a full development permit but through a Development Notification Order.”
This newspaper had then asked Mepa to provide it with the number of the DNO it was quoting, the date when it was submitted and when it was given Mepa’s green light. However, in a surprise reply, Mepa informed the Times of Malta four days later that they could not provide the DNO or any related documentation as there was none.
“Kindly note that the change of use is not subject to a full development permit and neither to a DNO,” Mepa’s spokesman said.
“Through the Gaming Act, they (casino developers) are exempt from requiring planning permission from Mepa.”
The use of any part of a hotel as a casino is not, under the Gaming Act, deemed to be change of use.
The planning authority did not reply to questions on what happened in the past when other casinos, namely Portomaso and Oracle, were opened as part of hotels or tourism complexes. In order to start operations, a casino normally requires a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority which is subject to a Mepa development permit.
The Times of Malta is informed that gaming authority officials discovered that Eden Leisure was exempt from a planning permit after a notification sent by the developers and not by Mepa. However, it was Mepa’s CEO who first picked up the clause in the gaming law exempting the casino,and not the gaming officials.
The new Casino Malta opened its doors last Monday, just a few hours after its licence was issued by the Malta Gaming Authority.