NGOs demand urgent law change after Halland Hotel ruling exposes planning appeals loophole

A coalition of environmental and heritage NGOs is calling for an urgent legal amendment to halt construction works while planning permits are under appeal, arguing that the recent court ruling on the Halland Hotel in Swieqi exposes a system that routinely denies residents effective justice.

In a joint statement issued under the Ġustizzja għal Artna campaign, organisations including Moviment Graffitti said the ongoing controversy surrounding the 10-storey Halland Hotel shows how developers are allowed to push ahead with projects even when permits are being legally challenged.

The appeal follows a recent court decision that revoked the hotel’s permit after finding that the Planning Authority had arbitrarily applied policy in favour of the developer. By the time the ruling was delivered, however, most of the building had already been constructed.

The NGOs said this outcome mirrors “countless other cases” in which residents shoulder the financial and emotional burden of contesting permits, only to see construction continue regardless. They argue that allowing works to proceed while an appeal is pending renders the appeals process meaningless in practice.

The coalition said government has acknowledged for years that the situation is illogical and promised reform, but has failed to deliver. Instead, it accused authorities of presenting a broader planning reform package that would weaken safeguards and further tilt the system in favour of developers.

According to the statement, the proposed reforms — currently stalled after public backlash — would effectively dismantle key protections and risk turning planning appeals into a formality. The groups insist the existing bills and draft legal notices should be withdrawn entirely and replaced with a genuine overhaul focused on the common good.

As an immediate step, the campaign is demanding a simple amendment to current law that would automatically suspend construction during the appeals process. The organisations said such a measure has been repeatedly promised over the past three years but never enacted.

“Absurd situations such as that of the Halland Hotel would not arise if government chose to do what is right and logical, rather than bending over backwards to appease developers,” the statement said.

The call is endorsed by BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent, Għawdix, Nature Trust Malta, Ramblers’ Association of Malta and Wirt Għawdex.