Proposal to turn Qormi Palazzo into hotel turned down

A controversial proposal to transform one of Qormi’s historic palazzos into a boutique hotel has been refused after the developer failed to heed Planning Commission instructions to drastically scale back the project, marking a rare victory for residents and heritage campaigners concerned about overdevelopment in an Urban Conservation Area.

The Planning Commission turned down application PA/00472/25, submitted by Pecunia European Properties Ltd, owned by developer Nadesh Parnis, after concluding that the proposal remained fundamentally at odds with planning policies designed to protect the historic core of Qormi.

The application sought to convert an 18th-century Palazzo, known as tat-Tabib Maempel on Triq il-Kbira, into boutique tourist accommodation while adding extensive new development within its historic gardens, including new accommodation wings and multiple swimming pools.

Earlier this month, instead of immediately refusing the application, the Commission gave the developer time to submit substantially revised plans. It made clear that only the rehabilitation of the existing palazzo was acceptable and ordered the complete removal of the proposed North, West and East wings together with all swimming pools. It also insisted that the historic garden be retained in its entirety and that the site’s medieval wall be fully protected.

However, when the application returned for a decision on Thursday, the Commission noted that no revised plans had been submitted. The proposal, therefore, remained unchanged, leaving all of the policy breaches previously identified unresolved.

The Commission concluded that the development continued to exceed the 30-metre development limit established, conflicted with the policy protecting the context and setting of historic properties, and introduced a scale of development incompatible with the sensitivity of the Urban Conservation Area.

It ruled that the project would undermine the site’s historic character and be detrimental to both the historic core and the wider Qormi community.

The proposal had generated strong opposition from the Qormi Local Council, residents, Moviment Graffitti and heritage organisations, all of which argued that the scheme would destroy one of the locality’s few remaining historic gardens and permanently alter the character of the neighbourhood.

Objectors were assisted by Architect Carmel Cacopardo. AP Valletta were the applicant’s architects.