FAA, Moviment Graffitti hit out at PA decision for hotel on Saqqajja hill

"The heritage of Malta is yet again sold for private speculative gain"

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) and Moviment Graffitti have warned of the dangers posed by a 6-storey hotel slated to be built on Saqqajja Hill.

In a statement, the two NGOs expressed concern over the rock cutting that will take place within the glacis of the scheduled Grade 1 Fortifications of Mdina, which they describe as "notoriously unstable".

Of further concern is the proposed basement several meters below street level.

"There is little doubt that archaeology will be uncovered. A MEPA Director had in the past stated that conditions attached to permits were simply a screen, since MEPA did not have the resources to ensure that the conditions were respected," the NGOs highlighted. 

"To declare that archaeological monitoring will take place after the permit is granted, simply means that the findings will be recorded, covered up, built over or destroyed. That is, if they are identified at all. Bulldozers and heavy excavators are not going to halt when valuable historial remnants are uncovered."

The Planning Authority approved the 81-room hotel on Thursday, making the final approval condition on the completion of geological and archaeological studies assessing the impact of excavations on the heritage site.

It is being proposed on the site of the former Tattingers disco and adjacent buildings on the strategically located and geologically sensitive Saqqajja hill.

The owners of this former Tattingers disco are "the driving force behind the hotel proposal", as described by the NGOs. 

"[They] are handed a lucrative new lease for a further profit spree, at the cost of Maltese cultural heritage. The heritage of Malta is yet again sold for private speculative gain," their statement reads.

Planning Authority stands by its decision

Making reference to FAA and Moviment Graffitti's statement, the Planning Authority (PA) has come out in defence of its decision to permit construction of a hotel on the area. 

It said that there had been general consent in yesterday's public hearing that the project is a "better architectural solution" compared to the existing structures on site.

"Having said that, the Board still kept the design of the hotel as a reserved matter, and called for the applicant to improve the overall design to ensure that the building is more homogenous with the surrounding area. The new design will need to be approved by the Board," it said.

The PA also denied that the height of the approved building was going to leave a massive visual impact on the entrance to Rabat and Mdina. 

"The height and massing of the approved project will take similar proportions to the rest of the street, achieving a good transition and blending well to create a natural and unimposing skyline."