Plans to build a hotel as part of a heritage park at Dwejra have been slammed by the Democratic Party, which on Tuesday challenged environmental authorities to speak out and defend the ecological site.

An “international call” launched by the government in the days following the collapse of the Azure Window received just one application, news portal Newsbook reported last week.

That proposal, submitted by Gozitan construction magnate Joseph Portelli, includes plans to build a hotel inside a nearby quarry, the news site reported.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Democratic Party said that it would not be fooled by talk of a Heritage Park at the site.

“What is really being planned here is a commercial enterprise which will come at great cost to the ecology and sustainability of the area,” it said. The party recalled how Dwejra had already been the victim of environmental mismanagement in the past.

“When they planned to build a visitors’ centre, we got a restaurant instead and Nature Trust withdrew from the management board,” it said. It also challenged the government to remain consistent.

“In 2010, the PL opposition rightly condemned MEPA for allowing false sand placed by the Game of Thrones crew to damage the area,” PD said. “We expect the Labour administration not to apply double standards.”

“Any Heritage Park must exclusively serve the purpose of education and not accommodation or fine dining with a view. Partit Demokratiku will be holding government to account on its next steps following this Preliminary Market Consultation.”