The long-abandoned Festaval Hotel in Mellieħa has once again hit a roadblock, with the Planning Authority’s case officer recommending refusal of plans to reconstruct the derelict complex.

The proposed project, filed by Mizzi Estates Ltd in 2022, sought outline permission to demolish the existing ruins and rebuild the hotel in line with a 1987 permit.

Designed by renowned architect Richard England, the original scheme envisioned terraced apartments built into the hillside beneath St Agatha’s Tower. However, construction was halted in the early 1980s after structural problems, leaving the site to be reclaimed by nature.

For the past three years, the application has effectively been on pause as the applicant failed to provide key studies requested by regulators. The Development Management Directorate has now concluded that it cannot properly assess the proposal and is recommending refusal.

According to the report, the Planning Authority repeatedly requested additional documentation, including:

• A Traffic Scoping Statement to assess the impact on Mellieħa’s road network.
• A Tourism Compliance Certificate from the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA).
• An environmental assessment and recommendations from the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA).

None of these were submitted within the statutory timeframe. As a result, the Directorate stated that “the proposal lacks the necessary information to enable complete assessment in terms of transport, land use and environmental impacts.”

Strong objections from cultural and environmental bodies

The Festaval site is highly sensitive, lying Outside Development Zone (ODZ) within a Natura 2000 site and directly below the Grade one scheduled Red Tower.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage came out strongly against the plans, insisting the derelict structures should be demolished to reinstate the ridge to its natural state. The authority stressed that reconstruction would negatively impact both the tower and the surrounding historic landscape.

The ERA also flagged that requirements under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations and Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations may apply. Without the requested information, it could not complete its review.

Meanwhile, Transport Malta and the Planning Authority’s own transport team insisted a traffic study was crucial, given decades have passed since the hotel last operated.

The MTA further emphasised that under the Tourism Act, no permit can be issued without a compliance certificate –⁠ a requirement that was ignored.

A project stalled for decades

The Festaval Hotel has long been the subject of controversy. In 2018, enforcement action was taken over its abandoned state, with officials noting the building caused “injury to amenity.” Past attempts to redevelop the site into villas also faced resistance due to strict local plan protections.

For many, the ruined concrete shells have become a curiosity –⁠ an unofficial tourist attraction with sweeping views of Mellieħa Bay and Ghadira Nature Reserve, slowly being overtaken by vegetation.

With the latest refusal recommendation, the site’s future appears as uncertain as ever. Unless Mizzi Estates provides the missing studies and satisfies the concerns of key authorities, the Festaval Hotel may remain a relic of Malta’s modernist past, trapped between nature and bureaucracy.