Buildings on the Gozo hospital site can now go higher and sprawl further after the government approved changes to the local plan.
The new rules for the existing site had been approved by the Planning Authority’s executive council last May and were waiting for the ministerial rubber stamp, which arrived last week.
The decision paves the way for building applications filed by Vitals Global Healthcare, a private firm, to be considered under the new rules.
The company has entered into a multi-million euro agreement with the government to build a new general hospital and medical school in Gozo and refurbish St Luke’s and Karen Grech hospitals. It will also operate the facilities for medical tourism purposes while selling beds to the government for use in the public health service.
Late last year, the company filed two planning applications for the Gozo site. One of the projects is to replace an existing building with a medical school on four floors, with a receded top floor. This school will house the Barts School of Medicine.
The other application is for a master-plan of the Gozo hospital site to cater for major alterations, including part demolition and reconstruction, which will see the number of beds increase to 450 from 270.
The partial review of the local plan allows the Planning Authority to consider new buildings and redevelopment of existing buildings not worthy of conservation to be constructed on a larger footprint. It also allows higher buildings and lateral extensions to existing structures within the site.
“The open spaces within the Gozo General Hospital site may be utilised for required development to cater for future consolidation, expansion and modernisation needs and the upgrading of the hospital and future health-related services provided a balanced and satisfactory ‘open-to-built’ ratio is achieved,” the policy states.
It also encourages additional development to be away from the ridge edge on the site’s south-eastern flank.
The design strategy “should seek to produce a broadly low-lying development with buildings being around 16.3m high”. However, the PA would be able to consider extensions beyond the stipulated height within the hospital boundary subject to further studies and with respect to the Victoria skyline.
The policy lays down that development will have to safeguard the archaeological remains located on the site.
The contracts outlining the 30-year concession given to Vitals for the running of three hospitals was tabled in Parliament last October by Health Minister Chris Fearne. However, the documents were heavily redacted with the minister saying these parts contained “commercially-sensitive details”.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com