MEPA identifies site for Selmun Palace Hotel's new wing

Instead of limiting all development to the footrpint of the existing building located next to the historical tower, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority has already identified the site for an extenstion of the Selmun Hotel through the construction of a "new wing". 

MEPA has already published a map identifying the site of the new hotel wing.  Part of the proposed new wing will be built on the hotel's tennis courts.

The inclusion of a new hotel wing in the approved plan for the area will greatly facilitate the approval of new development in an area where further ODZ development is normally not allowed. 

The public consultation published on the authority's website states that quality tourism development will occupy the bulk of development on the site but does not exclude other land uses.  The objectives also state that MEPA will not allow any increase in building heights and that the development should not have any negative impact on the historical Selmun tower and on ecological areas.

The government had announced in October hat it intended buying the site from Air Malta with the intention of divesting itself of the property at a later stage.  Previous attempts by Air Malta to divest itself of the property had all failed.