Buskett elderly home: Case officer recommends approval despite ERA objections

The Planning Directorate’s Development and Management Directorate is recommending approval of plans for the construction of an old people’s home instead of a vacant Buskett hotel to which the Environmental and Resources Authority had objected.

However, following a story in the midweek edition of MaltaToday, the case officer report recommending approval is now under review following the intervention of PA Executive Chairman Johann Buttigieg, and a public hearing on the controversial development, originally scheduled for 27 November, has been postponed.

The planning application seeks permission to demolish the vacant Buskett Forest Aparthotel, which dates back to the 1970s. It will be replaced by a 54-room old people’s home over three storeys that will host 100 residents.

The proposal made by the owner Peter Borg, does not involve the take up of agricultural land.

However, the Environment and Resources Authority has consistently opposed the proposal since its inception in 2016 arguing its scale and massing are incompatible with the rural surroundings adjacent to a Natura 2000 site.

Following revisions to plans in 2021 ERA noted the improvements made to the design but insisted that the scale and massing of the proposed development were still substantial and in conflict with the sensitive site context.

In its final communication in 2022, ERA said it “cannot favourably recommend the approval of the development” due to the difficulty of producing a compatible proposal within such a sensitive area.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the Design Advisory Committee had also expressed concern over the project.

The site lies adjacent to a Natura 2000, designated as both a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA).

But the case officer insisted that the height and footprint of the proposed building does not exceed that approved in an outline permit granted in 2011, which expired in 2016.

The controversial permit envisaged the demolition of the existing building and the erection of a “multi-ownership complex” with 58 rooms.

Curiously, a site selection exercise to identify a suitable alternative location for the old people’s home was only carried out after submission of the application.

The study simply considered two alternative locations, only to demonstrate that these were unsuitable. Alternatives included palazzos in Rabat, Mdina, and Triq ir-Repubblika, which were rejected due to traffic, visual, and operational constraints.

Transportation assessments by the Development Management Transportation Consultations Unit confirmed adequate access for vehicles in Buskett, including emergency and service vehicles, with a 4.3m-wide entry and a proposed lay-by within the site curtilage.

Despite ERA’s repeated objections, the case officer concludes that the proposal is acceptable.

The proposal has been endorsed by the Old People’s Standards Authority.

The Planning Authority was expected to take a decision on the application on 27 November but the decision was postponed and the case officer report is now being reviewed.