HV Hospitality, Hili Ventures’ hospitality arm, said the uprooting of hundreds of trees and shrubs from Comino is “necessary for native habitats to recover”.
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) today approved the uprooting of 800 trees and several shrubs as part of HV Hospitality’s project, which will revamp the defunct Comino Hotel and adjacent bungalows into a luxury Six Senses Hotel.
This was the second time ERA approved these plans, after the first permit was revoked on appeal after the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal ruled that the proper procedure hadn’t been followed.
In a statement, HV Hospitality welcomed ERA’s approval of the Six Senses Comino’s preliminary environmental programme.
“Of approximately 2,500 tree and shrub specimens currently on site, around 1,900 are alien, invasive or ecologically incompatible species whose removal is necessary for native habitats to recover,” it said.
“Of the roughly 600 native and protected specimens, around 550 will be carefully transplanted and around 50 permanently removed, each compensated at a ratio of 1:10. All works will proceed under specialist ecological supervision, timed to the winter season to maximise transplantation success.”
HV Hospitality said the project will add around 55,000 new trees and plants, more than 20 times what exists on site today, and will return more than 8,200 square metres of previously built-up land to its natural state.
The demolition of the old buildings on site and the construction of the Six Senses Comino hotel and bungalows remains subject to the outcome of an ongoing court appeal process.
Pressure group Movement Graffitti has condemned ERA’s decision, warning it will also involve “invasive and intensive” construction works that include excavation, demolition and heavy traffic on Comino.
“This is so that the Hili Group can build 44 pools, 16 villas and a 140-room hotel, for which it doesn’t yet have a definitive permit,” it said.
“If the Hili Group starts ravaging Comino with construction works while our court case is ongoing, they should expect a fierce battle. We won’t let them destroy Comino. Take Albania as a warning.”
This was a reference to the ‘Flamingo Revolution’ in Albania, in which several people protests against the proposed Sazan Island Resort, which is backed by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
