Ħal Ferħ tourist complex application renewal gets go-ahead
An application to renew a permit issued on 18 July 2014 for the development of the Ħal Ferħ tourist complex has been approved by the Planning Authority.
The applicant’s architect – David Xuereb – said that no changes had been made to the development plan since 2014. The site is located in a coastal rural area within the Pwales Valley in the southwestern part of the Mellieħa Local Council’s area and to the east of the popular Golden Bay and the Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort.
The site consists of the southern part of a British military complex known as the Lower Camp, which was converted into the Ħal Ferħ Holiday Complex in the 1970s. The complex mostly consists of barracks and modern buildings which are small in footprint and height, detached and alternating with landscaped areas nurturing mature trees, dense vegetation and derelict areas with little greenery.
The development is of a touristic nature, it was explained, and the proposed vacation resort will include a total of 228 units with ancillary facilities, including restaurant, small convenience shop, pools and bars, spa and underground parking facilities accommodating up to 293 cars. The majority of the proposed units are one or two storeys high and a ribbon development encircles a more open area. Within the ribbon building is an extensive area of landscaping in which a number of smaller private pavilions, the spa and pool facilities will be located.
A running track will be built on the roofs of the outer units.
The case officer explained that during the development brief stage many years ago, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage had analysed a number of buildings in the area and found that a number of the buildings on site did not have a heritage value worth preserving.
The chapel within the Ħal Ferħ Redevelopment Project, however, shall be retained, restored and integrated into the development.
The original permit had a validity period of five years from the date of publication of the decision, but will cease to be valid if the development is not completed by the end of this validity period. Hence a renewal application was filed.
The original application stated that the redevelopment of the Ħal Ferħ complex aimed to replace “the existing derelict Ħal Ferħ Tourist Complex [with] a highquality, low-lying and low-density tourist resort that complements the sensitive surrounding landscape,” the case officer’s report reads.
“While the contiguous road network is being improved to cater for the increasing traffic demand, the eastern Triq ilManikata is proposed to be widened and the junction between Triq San Pawl il-Baħar and Triq Għajn Tuffieħa upgraded,” according to the report
“The widening of Triq ilManikata will take place by taking land from the existing Ħal Ferħ complex. A surface car park is being proposed in the north of the existing Ħal Ferħ complex, which is currently part of an existing unfinished camp site leased to and managed by the Scouts Association.”
The case officer had recommended that the project be approved.
As regards trees on site, the case officer’s report reads that an exhaustive survey of existing trees, shrubs and other vegetation on site is required with the intention to retain as many of the existing native trees and vegetation as is reasonably possible. Existing trees which need to be removed from their existing siting shall be transplanted or replaced in kind in another location within the site. “Alien/ invasive species existing on site should be replaced with appropriate indigenous species.”
The architect explained that over 500 trees would be added to the site, while around 230 would be transplanted.
John Buttigieg, Mellieħa’s vicemayor, said during the meeting that the council was in favour of the project but was concerned about traffic management. He asked whether anything had changed since 2014, to which the case officer replied in the negative. Asked about widening of the road, the applicant’s architect confirmed that land for this widening would be taken from the project.