Planning Commission refuses Qormi UCA application

The Planning Commission has refused development application PA/00472/25 for a proposed boutique accommodation project within a historic property in Ħal Qormi.

The property is at 390,391,392,393, Triq il-Kbira with secondary frontage on, Sqaq il-Misraħ Nru. 2.

The application had been deferred during the Commission’s meeting of 9th July 2026, when the applicant was given until Thursday (today) to submit fresh and accurate drawings substantially reducing the scale of the proposed development.

During today’s hearing, the Commission noted that no revised drawings had been submitted and that the proposal therefore remained unchanged. As a result, the concerns identified during the previous hearing had not been addressed.

While the principle of rehabilitating the existing palazzo for boutique accommodation had been considered acceptable, the Commission had found that the additional development proposed, (including the North, West and East wings and the swimming pools) was excessive and incompatible with the sensitivity of the site and its location within the Urban Conservation Area.

The Commission said that it had directed that any revised proposal should:

• confine the boutique accommodation development strictly to the rehabilitation of the existing palazzo;
• ⁠remove all the proposed additional wings and swimming pools;
• ⁠retain and protect the existing garden in its entirety; and
• ⁠safeguard the existing medieval wall.

The proposal continued to extend beyond the 30-metre development limit established under Policy P27 and remained in conflict with Policy G21, particularly in relation to the protection of the context and setting of the historic property.

Since no revised plans were submitted, the proposal remained unchanged and continued to conflict with the applicable planning policy framework, including Policy P27 concerning the 30-metre development limit and Policy G21 on safeguarding the context and setting of historic properties. The Planning Commission therefore refused the application, concluding that the excessive scale and intensity of the proposed development would undermine the site’s historic character and be detrimental to the historic core and the wider community of Ħal Qormi.

The controversy

The proposal had previously attracted opposition from residents, the Qormi Local Council and environmental groups, with concerns largely centred on the scale of the development and its impact on the historic garden surrounding the property.

Ahead of the Planning Commission hearing on 9th July, Moviment Graffitti had called for the application to be rejected, arguing that while the restoration and reuse of the Baroque palazzo known as tat-Tabib Maempel was welcome, the proposed extensions would result in substantial development within one of the remaining green spaces in Qormi’s historic core.

The plans included three additional wings, referred to as the North, East and West units, as well as swimming pools. Opponents argued that these interventions would significantly reduce the property's centuries-old garden, which contains mature citrus and olive trees as well as historic features and structures. The property is located within Qormi’s Urban Conservation Area.

The Qormi Local Council had also objected to the application, raising concerns over the size of the proposed accommodation project and its compatibility with the surrounding historic area. Qormi mayor Josef Masini Vento was among those who publicly opposed the plans, while MP Jerome Caruana Cilia expressed support for the council's position.

Nature Trust Malta had separately raised concerns about the potential impact on wildlife, including protected bat species. Moviment Graffitti also questioned the effects of excavation and increased servicing and construction activity on the surrounding area, including the use of a narrow alley near Pjazza San Franġisk for access.

Despite the objections, the Planning Authority's case officer had recommended approval of the application ahead of the July hearing. Statutory consultees, including the Environment and Resources Authority and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, had not raised fundamental objections to the proposed garden interventions, subject to conditions.

Opponents had maintained that their objections were directed at the scale of the new development rather than the rehabilitation of the existing palazzo, with Moviment Graffitti supporting the restoration of the historic building while calling for the proposed extensions into the garden to be dropped.