ERA reversed Buskett objection five days before elections as PA approves controversial project

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) quietly reversed years of opposition to the controversial Buskett Forest Hotel redevelopment just five days before last May’s general elections, clearing the way for the Planning Authority to approve the project.

Documents seen by The Shift show that ERA signed off on the project on 25 May 2026, only five days before voters went to the polls, abandoning its long-held position that the proposed development was incompatible with the environmentally sensitive Buskett area.

Just weeks later, the Planning Authority approved the demolition of the long-abandoned Buskett Forest Hotel and its replacement with a large old people’s home in an 8-1 vote, with every government-appointed board member supporting the permit.

The only vote against came from NGO representative Romano Cassar.

ERA’s change of heart marked a dramatic reversal.

For years, the authority had consistently refused to endorse the project, arguing that its scale and massing remained incompatible with the sensitive surroundings despite several redesigns. It had repeatedly insisted on extensive environmental studies, including an Appropriate Assessment and, initially, an Environmental Impact Assessment, while maintaining that it could not recommend approval.

However, in a ‘strange’ U-turn, an ERA assessment dated 25 May 2026 suddenly concluded that the development would not significantly affect the surrounding environment or the integrity of the adjacent Natura 2000 site, provided a series of mitigation measures were imposed.

The authority also accepted updated traffic studies and photomontages submitted by the developer, concluding that the revised proposal no longer warranted environmental objections.

The proposed development by businessman Peter Borg, designed by former Labour minister Charles Buhagiar, will replace the derelict hotel with a three-storey elderly care home containing 54 rooms for around 100 residents, together with underground parking, landscaped gardens and ancillary facilities.

The application, originally filed in 2016, underwent numerous revisions after attracting strong opposition from environmental organisations, including Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar and Nature Trust Malta, all of which argued that such a large development would irreversibly alter the rural landscape surrounding Buskett.

Despite ERA’s U-turn, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage never withdrew its objections.

Still, the PA ignored the superintendence and approved the permit.