Panorama Hotel gets go-ahead for receded floor

The Panorama Hotel in Mellieħa has been given the green light by the Planning Authority for the construction of a receded floor on top of the existing five-storey building.

The proposal, which had been filed in 2018, had stoked controversy as the applicant - Vince Borg of V&C Developments Ltd - had originally sought a permit for three additional floors. This had fuelled objections due to concerns it would ruin the village skyline as the hotel is close to the parish church on top of a ridge.

However, the proposal was scaled down several times until the applicant opted for minor changes to a receded floor which had already been approved in 2015.

Two weeks ago, the PA board had already expressed the intention to issue the permit but the final decision had been deferred as it was going against the recommendation for refusal by the case officer. However, it is understood this refusal had been based on the previous plan which envisaged a full floor and not a receded one.

One of the conditions imposed is that no services may be installed on the roof, to keep the building’s height profile as low as possible.

Moreover, a contribution of €5,000 was also imposed to compensate for the two...