The sky is the limit: New policy set to abolish height limits on hotels

The new policy drafted by a committee mainly composed of industry representatives is proposing a complete relaxation of building heights for 4 and 5 star hotels located in development schemes and outside urban conservation areas.

The objectives of the new policy on hotel heights proposes that four and five star hotels will be free to add more than two storeys than permitted in the Local Plan as long as the design "constitutes a landmark having unique aesthetic characteristics within the urban context".

A policy drafted by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority under the previous government and approved by the current administration in May, limited the number of floors to be added to two.

The working group appointed by the government to draft a new policy regulating hotel heights in composed of two MEPA officials and six representatives of organisations involved in the tourism sector, namely the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the Malta Tourism Authority.

The policy approved in May was limited to Mellieha, St Paul's Bay, St Julian's, Sliema, Marsascala, Marsaxlokk and Birzebbugia and Gozo.

But the  new policy will apply to all hotels located in development zones.

In fact all hotels will now be able to add an extra two floors except those located in  ODZ areas, ridge edge sites, scheduled buildings and urban conservation areas.

This emerges from a call for public consultation on the objectives of the new policy on hotel heights which is set to replace the one approved in May.

The "ultimate" aim of the new policy is to "ensure the improvement of  competitiveness and profitability of the tourism product."

MEPA has also issued for a call for public submissions on new policies on fireworks,  petrol service stations and the application of the floor area ration.

The new policy foresees a greater application of the floor area ratio, a mechanism which foresees higher buildings than foreseen in local plans if they occupy a smaller footprint,

According to the  policy objectives issued by MEPA the mechanism will be applied in a more localities than proposed in a draft policy issued in 2006. The policy was never approved.

The 2006 document has identified nine sites as the appropriate locations for high-rise development where buildings were set to rise above 11 storeys.Medium-rise development was envisaged in the entire conurbation covering Pembroke, Swieqi and St Julian's in the north, San Gwann, Birkirkara and Qormi in the centre and Fgura and Zabbar in the south. Medium-rise buildings were defined as one floor higher but less than twice as high as the statutory building height limitation.

But the new policy excludes the application of the floor area ration in Gozo, Urban conservation areas and ODZs.

The public is being given until 30 September to present submissions on the new policy objectives.