Malta’s law courts, presided over by Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, have annulled a Planning Authority (PA) permit for the controversial Villa Rosa development in St. George’s Bay, St Julian’s.

The decision voids the PA’s renewal of a permit initially issued in 2023, which has since expired, leaving the site without a valid development permit.

The revoked permit had proposed the demolition of Moynihan House and Dolphin House, two historic British-era buildings, to make way for commercial spaces, offices, and a language school.

These buildings were already demolished under the original permit. The plans also included a 56-room hotel, a boutique hotel with apartments and commercial spaces near Bay Street, and 15 two-storey villas with private pools in the valley area.

Following the original permit’s renewal, developer Joseph Camilleri sought approval for a larger project, proposing two high-rise towers of 35 and 27 storeys and increasing the development’s total floor space from 141,000sqm to 237,000sqm.

This new application invoked the Height Limitation Adjustment policy, which permits hotels to exceed local plan height limits.

As a result, many residents and activists appealed the renewal, arguing that the PA had failed to display a site notice at Cresta Quay and that the permit application inaccurately described the site address, omitting its true extent across St. George’s Bay.

The court ruled in their favour, voiding the permit and highlighting flaws in the application process.

In October, Camilleri defended his plans, emphasising the need for “high-quality tourism” in Malta and stating that while the site was already covered by a permit, he chose to amend the plans to align with the area’s evolving development.

The Planning Authority is currently revising the local plan to address height limitations and other issues related to the Villa Rosa site.

What do you make of this development?