Hili announces suspension of Comino hotel works following EPRT decision

HV Hospitality said it acknowledges the Environmental and Planning Review Tribunal’s decision to suspend permits (EP 1472/22) for the development of the Six Senses Comino project pending the outcome of an appeal.

The permit, approved by the Environment and Resources Authority on 7 August, covers the environmental programme for the proposed Six Senses Comino project, including the removal and transplantation of trees and shrubs, as well as demolition and construction methods.

HV Hospitality said it did not object to the request for the permit’s suspension, noting that the only activity requiring a specific timeframe is the transplantation of trees and shrubs.

According to the company, the work must be carried out during winter to maximise the plants’ chances of survival. That period is expected to fall after the appeal is concluded, meaning no other works are planned before then, the company said.

HV Hospitality also said the Six Senses Comino project has been designed as a reduction rather than an expansion of the existing tourism footprint.

The completed hotel and bungalow footprint will be 8,244sq.m smaller than that of the hotel and bungalows it is intended to replace, the company said. It added the approach is consistent with the local plan’s policy of rehabilitating existing tourism facilities rather than developing new ones.

The company said the project has been conceived as a benchmark for sustainable luxury in Malta and the Mediterranean, in partnership with Six Senses.