No environmental assessment report needed for ODZ Busbesija hotel

The environment watchdog has ruled that no impact assessment is required for a proposed tourism development at Busbesija, on the outskirts of Mosta, despite its sensitive location.

The development on the site of a disused military site next to Mount St Joseph, a retreat house, is outside the development zone and borders two areas of High Landscape Value.

But the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), concluded that the project’s environmental impacts are “unlikely to be significant” and can be managed through standard planning conditions.

It thus excluded the project from the requirement to have an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). As a result, no further studies or public consultation under the EIA process are required.

This means the developers will not need to submit detailed environmental assessments, including the so-called zero option, an evaluation of the impact of not carrying out the project. Nor will the public be able to propose issues for investigation or respond to findings, as typically occurs during the EIA process.

The decision reflects a trend since the 2018 legal changes, which have led to a decline in EIAs and a greater reliance on early-stage screening.

The Busbesija project

The project, proposed by GP Borg Ltd, involves converting a disused British-era military site into a 30-room wellness retreat, including a restaurant, bar, spa, and six glamping tents. It will also feature private terraces, pools, and extensive landscaping.

Ten of the 11 existing stone huts will be restored and repurposed into 15 accommodation units with private terraces and pools. A new underground structure will house a further 15 rooms and a spa, while a lower level will include an indoor pool, multipurpose space, reservoir, and plant room. Six glamping tents and a communal pool are planned for a landscaped area currently used as agricultural land.

The development includes 13 surface parking spaces at the site entrance and 24 more in an underground facility. The 7,000sq.m site lies along Triq ta’ Piru, adjacent to Mount St Joseph Retreat House.

It contains Second World War-era structures, including limestone huts and a mess hall formerly used by the British Royal Engineers. These will be carefully dismantled, stored, and reconstructed using the original stone.

Although the site borders the Chadwick Lakes and Victoria Lines Areas of High Landscape Value, ERA found it is not directly within their area of influence and assessed the project’s visual footprint as limited.

Environmental impact and ERA Conditions

According to the Project Description Statement (PDS) submitted by the developers, excavation will generate around 90,000 cubic metres of inert waste. The development will also result in the permanent loss of agricultural land to make way for the communal pool and landscaping. The PDS, compiled by AIS Environment, acknowledges this as a “major adverse” impact but claims that the design, incorporating terracing and native planting, will help the project integrate into the rural landscape.

ERA’s screening report echoed this view, stating that the proposed development, based on the form and height of the existing structures, would not significantly affect the surrounding landscape character. It recommended the use of traditional rubble walls and indigenous plants for landscaping.

To reduce light pollution, ERA stipulated that all outdoor lighting must be low-level, fully cut-off, and confined within site boundaries. Traffic-related air quality and noise impacts were deemed negligible due to the project’s limited scale.

The site was transferred to GP Borg Ltd in July 2020 through a parliamentary resolution passed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 45-year lease was granted at an annual ground rent of €31,000 following a 2015 call for expressions of interest. A prior proposal to develop a shooting range on the site was shelved after public opposition.

The developers describe the project as a “modern sanctuary nestled in nature”, targeting wellness-focused travellers.

Project proponents GP Borg Holdings Limited, a ready-mix concrete supplier, have in recent years diversified their portfolio. The company is currently developing a new hotel overlooking Marsamxett in Valletta and was awarded a Labour Party-issued tender to restore and operate the Rialto Theatre in Bormla.