Comino project will take up less land than previous hotel, developer claims
A proposal to redevelop a hotel and bungalows on Comino will see the footprint of the original complex reduced overall, the developers behind the controversial project have said.
In a statement on Friday, Hili Ventures said that overall the total land area of their new hotel will be reduced by 5,122 square metres, with no planned land reclamation to execute the project.
The company is seeking planning permission to build a luxury hotel at San Niklaw bay and bungalows at Santa Marija bay, on sites previously used by a 1960s hotel that shut down some years ago.
It first unveiled its plans in 2020 but opposition remained muted until recently, when activists and NGOs rallied support to oppose the project, saying that the “monstrous” development is incompatible with the special protection afforded to Comino as a rural conservation area, a nature reserve, a special area of conservation, a special protection area, an important bird area of international and EU importance, a Natura 2000 site, a bird sanctuary and a dark sky heritage site.
The planning application has received thousands of objections, with Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba throwing his weight behind objectors, calling the...