A proposed hotel on the Delimara coastline will have a “major negative impact” on the stability of the adjacent cliff and the rural character of the surrounding landscape, a new environmental study has concluded.

An application submitted last year seeks to redevelop a dilapidated hotel in Kalanka Bay into an “ecological boutique hotel” with luxury suites, bar and restaurant, and public beach facilities.

An artist’s impression of how the “ecological boutique hotel” will look when completed.An artist’s impression of how the “ecological boutique hotel” will look when completed.

The plans also foresee the creation of a controversial link to the bay below by excavating a new tunnel from the hotel to the shoreline. The proposed tunnel will breach the cliff face, while the area immediately behind the cliff will be further excavated for the beach facilities.

But according to an environment planning statement published for consultation by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), the tunnel plans will have a major effect on the integrity and stability of the cliff, one of a number of negative environmental impacts outlined for the project.

The report, prepared by independent consultants ADI, suggests eliminating the tunnel and beach facilities from the plans to reduce the geological impact to minor.

However, the study also concluded that the proposed hotel will have a major impact on the character of the sensitive surrounding landscape, which is scheduled as an Area of High Landscape Value and an Area of Ecological Importance.

Despite the already-existing dilapidated structure, the project is predicted to create a “large change” in the rural landscape by introducing a larger and taller hotel building, “with a modern form more in keeping with an urban setting”.

“Moreover, there will be the introduction of commercial activity in the area, which is currently remote and not highly frequented by people. The physical interventions to the cliff, to provide the tunnel and beach facilities, and the increased activity on the rocky beach will result in a large change in the coastal landscape,” the report states.

The additional activity also risks increasing trampling over natural habitats in the area, with mitigation suggested by cordoning off important habitats and educating guests to avoid disturbing them.

Meanwhile, concerns are raised about the major visual impact when looking north-eastwards and westwards from Delimara Point, from where the large modern building will be seen to “dominate” the site and break the skyline.

This impact could be reduced in the long term through planned landscaping, the report suggests, although this will depend on the species used, and the size they attain in the harsh coastal environment.

There is unlikely to be any significant impact on the candidate Grade 1 scheduled Fort Delimara and the Delimara Lighthouse, or the candidate Grade 2 designated salt pans complex, given the size of the proposed development and the sightlines to the heritage structures.

However, the report notes the potential for damage to un-recorded archaeological artefacts during excavation.

Public consultation on the environment planning statement, a limited form of impact assessment which does not require a public hearing, opened last Thursday and will run until July 13.

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