The Marsascala council will be inviting residents for a presentation on a proposed mixed-use complex at the former Jerma Palace Hotel site, even though it has already declared its backing for the project.

Furthermore, the council's endorsement of the project – a 13-storey hotel and a seven-storey residential block – came at the earliest possible stage, as no development application has yet been submitted.

Facing the historic St Thomas Tower in the area known as Is-Siberja, this prime Marsascala site has been left dilapidated following the closure of the Jerma Palace Hotel in 2007.

Since then various proposals have been made to revive the area, most notably two massive towers of 44 and 32 storeys. However, none of these ever materialised.

Last year, Nationalist Party councillor Charlot Cassar tabled a motion calling on the government to acquire the privately owned site and turn it into an open space. The Labour-led council rejected the motion, with the three PN councillors the only ones to vote in favour. A year down the line, however, the scenario has changed, as Mr Cassar is now the only PN councillor sticking to his guns in favour of transforming the site into a public space.

The change in position came in the wake of a vote on the proposed mixed-use complex which was taken last Thursday following a presentation made by the developers in a previous meeting.

It transpired that Mr Cassar was the only one voting against, while deputy mayor Desiree Attard abstained. As for the two other PN councillors, John Baptist Camilleri voted in favour, while Sandro Gatt did not attend due to other commitments.

The last thing that Marsascala needs is further development

Soon after the meeting, Mr Cassar expressed his disappointment at the council’s stance in a Facebook post.

“The last thing that Marsascala needs is further development,” the councillor remarked when contacted yesterday.

Mr Cassar lamented that the position was taken on the basis of a one-page document presented by the developers and a presentation which he did not attend. No studies or actual plans were presented when the council took the vote, he remarked.

Marsascala mayor Mario Calleja insisted that the council was backing this project on the grounds of the economic and touristic boost to the seaside locality.

“The council has agreed in principle on this project, but if there is a minimal change to the plan, we will immediately object,” he remarked.

Mr Calleja stressed that the project would also be beneficial for the community, as it would include public spaces, access to the foreshore, a tunnel to reroute part of the traffic underground and upgrading the sewer network, as well as plans to have Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna manage the historic St Thomas Tower, which will be restored.

“The council believes it should not object to the project, which after all will replace an existing eyesore,” he said.

PN councillor John Baptist Camilleri, who last year backed a motion calling for the Jerma site to become a public space, said:

“While I am not satisfied with having a 13-storey development, the new project is much more acceptable, as the development has been scaled down so that half of the existing Jerma site will become a public space. For this reason, I believe this is an acceptable compromise, which will also give an economic boost to Marsascala."

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