The Jerma Palace hotel is to be demolished

Update 9.10am - Adds PA's enforcement notice alert The process to demolish the derelict Jerma hotel has finally taken off, years after the Marsascala hotel closed its doors, becoming a death trap. Planning Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri confirmed to this newspaper that the Planning Authority yesterday issued an enforcement notice, ordering the hotel’s owners to demolish the building. For years, the abandoned area had been a cause for concern for residents and those in the area, with what remained of the building slowly falling apart. The area had also become a dumping ground, with many disposing of their waste there. Dr Schembri said that the issue had been left unaddressed for too long and it was high time action was taken. “The Planning Authority is in the process of issuing a series of enforcement notices and the Jerma hotel had to be one of them. It has been left unattended for too long,” the Parliamentary Secretary said. She insisted that while the authority would be following all the standard procedures by giving the owners the time stipulated by law to address the issue, the case would be followed closely to ensure they comply. Early today, the Planning...