The Institute of Tourism Studies relocated to Luqa last month but the planning watchdog had still to evaluate a development planning application, the Times of Malta has been told.

The Planning Authority on Wednesday published a notice in the Malta Government Gazette calling for submissions by interested parties on a development application filed by the ITS chief executive officer, Pierre Fenech, to change the use of the former Air Malta offices in Luqa into a campus.

The PA opted for a fast track approach, giving just five working days, until September 5, for the submissions.

The PA was asked how it could justify the call when work on the ITS campus was completed a long time ago, to the extent that the ITS had been operating from Luqa since last month, according to an announcement it made. However, no reply was forthcoming at the time of writing.

Read: ITS moves to Luqa, making way for controversial db Group project

This newspaper reported last May that extensive infrastructure works were in progress on the former Air Malta offices in Luqa, questioning whether they were covered by a valid permit as required by law.

The PA opted for a fast track approach, giving just five working days

The Times of Malta had reported that the work had been going on since the beginning of the year and that it had continued unabated despite the PA having been informed a permit had not been issued yet.

The planning watchdog also failed to state how many enforcement orders, if any, it had issued in connection with the unauthorised work.

The matter was also raised with Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi in May. A spokesman had said that “no major exterior permanent interventions are being made and the ongoing work is mainly due to refurbishment, change of services to get the buildings in line with the current rules and regulations and the installation of fire detection systems”.

Such work would normally require a PA permit. Still, the development application posted last Wednesday includes a request to green-light internal and external alterations and to authorise a change of use from offices into a student campus.

The relocation of the ITS campus from St Julian’s to Luqa was necessary following the controversial sale of the old site by the government to the Seabank db Group to develop the area into a mega-touristic complex including a 37-storey residential tower for speculation.

This development is still not covered by a planning permit.

The deal is being vetted by the National Audit Office amid a controversy sparked off by the fact that the prime site was sold for just €15 million, considered to be well below the price it would fetch on the market.

The area was initially supposedly to be developed for touristic purposes, mainly as a hotel and ancillary facilities, however, dozens of luxury apartments were eventually added.

Dr Mizzi had said the db Group would foot all expenses for the refurbishment of the new ITS campus. However, it later resulted that about €1 million in taxpayers’ money would be spent because, according to Dr Mizzi, it was necessary to move another part of the ITS that was not part of the original agreement with the db Group.

 

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