Tribunal rejects Hondoq developers' appeal

Published on the Times of Malta on 2nd May, 2013.

An appeals tribunal has rejected an appeal by the developers of the proposed Hondoq ir-Rummien project for amendments to the project not to be considered as a new application.

Gozo Prestige had originally applied to build a yacht marina, a five star hotel and some 200 apartments at Hondoq ir-Rummien.

The application, which was opposed by the Qala council, a number of environment NGOs and the church’s environment commission, had also received a negative recommendation from Mepa's Environment Protection Department.

The applicant then amended its plans and submitted new ones. In the new plans it proposed to substantially reduce the number of apartments and eliminate the marina, which the developers had previously insisted was essential to the success of the project.

The authority then decided that the changes to the plans were major a new application for a permit had to be submitted.

The developers appealed this decision and insisted that the changes should be considered as an amendment.

Their appeal was rejected this morning to the satisfaction of the Qala council and the NGO Flimkien Ghal Ambject Ahjar, which had worked on plans to revert the area to the original local plan designation of a Gozo national park to the benefit of residents and tourism.

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