Comino Bungalows Will Be Privately Sold And May Have A ‘Significant Negative Impact’ On Geological Resources
The bungalows on Comino that are about to be redeveloped as part of a wider planning application will be sold privately and have a “major” and “significant” negative impact on the island’s geological resources, according to the Environment Impact Assessment report.
The project proposal is to redevelop the existing Comino Hotel and the bungalow complex on the north of the island, into a new hotel and serviced bungalows.
“The serviced bungalows will be for sale and prospective owners can opt to put their property in a rental pool, serviced by the hotel,” the report reads. Bungalow owners and guests can then make use of the hotel facilities and services.
Just a few weeks ago, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said that his team was working on a “sustainable” plan for the future of the island. Just two weeks later, a parliamentary petition was called to remove the sunbeds and umbrellas from the Blue Lagoon.
Earlier this year, the protected island’s landscape turned unrecognisable due to illegal roadworks.
If you want to easily navigate Malta’s planning permits, you can do so on the Planning Web.
The bungalows are planned to be built around a central garden courtyard, and each bungalow will also have a private garden.
With plans anticipated to start in the first quarter of 2022, the hotel and village are expected to be open in April 2025.
But while the developers claimed that the facelift of the Comino Hotel would have a zero carbon footprint, the EIA said the project would have a “major” and “significant” negative impact on geological resources, as it involves the extraction of rock and soil from the site.
There will also be the loss of habitat at both the hotel site and the village, as new development is being set back from the coast.
In order to minimise dust emissions and the risk of trampling on habitats of ecological importance, there must be good site working methods in place during the construction phase.
What do you make of Comino’s development?
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