Court Annuls Tribunal Decision on Villa St Ignatius Hotel Conversion
· Updated
In brief
- The Court of Appeal has annulled a tribunal decision that upheld the conversion of the historic Villa St Ignatius in St Julian's into a hotel.
- The controversial planning application will now be sent back to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal for a new hearing.
- Environmental NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa welcomed the court's decision, having previously applied to schedule the 19th-century property.
The Court of Appeal has overturned a previous tribunal decision concerning the controversial application to transform the historic Villa St Ignatius in St Julian's into a hotel. The court's ruling means the application will now return to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal for a fresh hearing.
Environmental non-governmental organisation Din l-Art Ħelwa expressed its satisfaction with the Court of Appeal's judgment. The NGO had been actively involved in the case, having applied to schedule the 19th-century property as far back as 2017.
The development had sparked considerable debate due to the historical significance of Villa St Ignatius and concerns over its proposed conversion into a four-star hotel. The annulment by the Court of Appeal reopens the planning process for this prominent site.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both Newsbook and The Shift News reported the court's decision consistently, focusing on the annulment and the return of the application to the tribunal.