Tribunal blocks high-rise Sliema hotel project

A planning tribunal has overturned permits that would have allowed the construction of two 14-storey hotel towers on a confined street in Sliema, after local residents opposed the scale of the project.

Community concerns over development scale

The proposed hotels were set to rise well above the existing streetscape, prompting objections from nearby residents and local advocacy groups. Critics argued that the towers would be out of character with the surrounding area and would put heavy pressure on the infrastructure of the narrow thoroughfare.

Residents also flagged traffic congestion, parking shortages and the bulk of the buildings relative to neighbouring properties.

Planning authority decision challenged

The original planning permits had been granted despite the controversy, leading to appeals before the tribunal. The decision to revoke the permits means the two 14-storey hotel schemes cannot proceed on the strength of those earlier approvals.

Newsbook's coverage of the ruling located the dispute on a narrow Sliema lane where the proposed height was the core objection. Related local reporting on the same corridor of hotel proposals has tracked how such schemes are repeatedly challenged when they jump well above the surrounding fabric.

What the revocation means now

Unless a fresh, revised application survives the planning process, the revoked permits leave the two hotel towers blocked. For neighbours on the lane, the practical outcome is immediate: the 14-storey approvals that triggered the appeal no longer stand.