MEPA urged to refuse Hondoq Hotel plans by environment NGOs

PUBLISHED ON THE MALTA TODAY ON SUNDAY, 30TH OCTOBER, 2011

Environmental NGOs call on MEPA to refuse permits for development at Hondoq ir-Rummien, Gozo.

Environmental NGOs urge MEPA to refuse Qala Creek developers permission to go forward with plans to build unviable hotel which could negatively impact Gozo.

Moviment Harsien Hondoq, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Ramblers Association, FOE Malta, Nature Trust, GUG, Din l-art helwa andWirtGhawdex urged the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to refuse permits for the project and to “revert the land to its original designation as a nature park”.

The environmental NGOs studied the 2009 EIS Coordinated Report where developers themselves stated that “the project would struggle if it had to be developed as a stand-alone hotel”.

Qala Creek developers responded to objections of a proposed marina atHondoq Bay by limiting plans to ‘swimming lagoon’.

The NGOs said that they could not understand how developers believed that removing the marina concept from the project and replacing it with a ‘swimming lagoon’ would be commercially viable, as required by the Environment Impact Assessment, when a stand-alone hotel had already been doubted.

The marina was the latest concept added to plans to give the hotel uniqueness allowing the hotel to “depend on demand generated by other parts of the project” and attract interest by potential patrons.

Developers said that the projected was expected to double the five-star room capacity in Gozo despite a weak demand for five-star hotel properties in Gozo.

In order for the increased room capacity to be successful, developers said that the hotel would need to be part of an integrated project with features differentiating it from other hotels.

The NGOs said that new plans submitted show that “developers are intent on pushing through this venture in complete disregard of the social and environmental impacts of the project, ignoring the fact that the local community and also general public opinion has expressed itself against the project”.

“The Qala Local Council has already looked into the various aspects of creating an environment and Heritage Park, a project that would attract much-needed tourists to Gozo, and support existing hotels and catering establishments,” the environmental NGOs said.

To view the comments, go tohttp://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/2011/1030/mepa-urged-to-refuse-hondoq-hotel-plans-by-environment-ngos