Environment watchdog objects to proposed Marsaskala elderly home on ODZ land

The Environment and Resources Authority has objected to a proposed elderly home on a largely undeveloped tract of land at the entrance to Marsaskala.

The authority has warned the project would contribute to the take-up of Outside Development Zone (ODZ) land for urban use.

The proposed development would rise on land at the corner of Triq iż-Żafran and Triq Sant’Antnin, close to Wied iż-Żiju, on the approach to Marsaskala. The site is partly designated as ODZ and partly falls within a Valley Protection Zone.

The application (PA/04579/25) foresees a large elderly care home with three basement levels for parking, two further basement levels for ancillary facilities and three accommodation levels above ground.

In a letter dated 3 September, ERA told the Planning Authority that the project falls within the category of developments requiring a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), given its size and location.

However, the authority stressed that carrying out an EIA would not resolve its fundamental objection to the project.

ERA has therefore formally objected to the development, while asking the applicant to confirm within 30 days whether it still intends to proceed with the EIA.

The project, submitted by Mario Abela on behalf of Abela Ventures Ltd, would include resident rooms, a 350-person dining hall, chapel, library, offices, café, indoor and outdoor daycare facilities, medical clinics, gym, indoor and outdoor pools, spa and squash courts.

The building would have a footprint of around 1,950sq.m while another 5,241sq.m would be devoted to hard and soft landscaping.

The project description statement was prepared by environmental consultancy AIS Environment Ltd.

The PDS identifies the conversion of non-built-up ODZ land into an urbanised use as a major adverse land-use impact, while the building would also have a major adverse impact on the landscape and visual character of the area.

An ecological survey carried out on 17 April 2026 identified 21 protected trees that would be directly affected by the development. These include 13 olive trees, six carob trees, one date palm and one almond tree protected under environmental regulations.

The PDS classifies the removal of these mature trees and disturbance to local wildlife as a major adverse ecological impact. It proposes that viable protected trees be transplanted in accordance with ERA guidelines, although it notes that the carob trees are unlikely to survive transplantation.

The development would also involve the eradication of invasive alien species, including the castor oil tree (Ricinus communis). The proposed landscaping would include compensatory planting with native species, with the PDS aiming to ultimately achieve a net environmental gain.

Excavation is expected to generate around 70,000 cubic metres of material, while runoff during construction could affect the nearby Wied iz-Ziju valley system. A rainwater reservoir is proposed for irrigation and fire protection.

The developers argue that the project would respond to demand for high-quality elderly care in southern Malta and is consistent with national policies on active ageing and sustainable development.

Council objects

The Marsaskala local council has also objected to the latest application.

The council said it had taken its decision after receiving the new plans submitted for the proposed elderly home. The council said it remained firmly of the view that the area identified by the developer contains both ODZ and non-ODZ land.

It specifically objected to any building or development taking place on the ODZ portions included in the application.

The site has already been at the centre of a controversial development saga.

In 2023, the owners proposed a major commercial development on the same land comprising a supermarket, retail outlets, restaurants, a gym, three underground parking levels and a five-storey hotel.

That application (PA/07170/23) was rejected by the Planning Authority in April 2026. The authority had described the commercial development as involving unnecessary land take-up in the ODZ, while ERA had warned that it would urbanise rural land.

The elderly home proposal was subsequently submitted as the developers shifted away from the shopping and hotel project.

Planning policies do allow elderly homes in ODZ areas, but subject to a sequential approach under which urban areas, brownfield sites and vacant land within development zones should be considered before resorting to undeveloped ODZ land.

The latest proposal therefore changes the type of development envisaged for the site, but ERA’s central concern remains unchanged—whether an urban-scale development should be allowed to take up undeveloped land at the edge of Marsaskala.