HV Hospitality has issued a statement in response to the the claim made on Wednesday by Moviment Graffitti that 800 trees will be uprooted at the Six Senses Comino site.

The company said that this claim is ”inaccurate and misrepresents the environmental programme submitted for ERA approval.”

It stated that ”there are currently approximately 2,500 tree and shrubs on site. Around 1,900 of these are alien, invasive or ecologically incompatible species, whose controlled removal is necessary to allow Comino’s native habitats to recover.”

HV Hospitality explained that ”of the roughly 600 native and protected trees and plants on site, around 550 will be carefully transplanted. The remaining 50 will be permanently removed and each of these will be compensated at a ratio of 1:10, meaning approximately 500 new trees will be planted in their place.”

The company claimed that ”far from reducing vegetation on Comino, the project will add approximately 55,000 new trees and plants in total, more than 20 times what exists on the site today, and will return more than 8,200 square metres of previously built-up land to its natural state. This represents a substantial net gain in vegetation and ecological resilience, as only native species will be present.”

Hili Ventures stressed that ”all works are scheduled for winter, which is the appropriate seasonal window to maximise transplantation success and minimise environmental impact, and will be carried out under specialist ecological supervision.”

”This preparatory phase is entirely separate from the planning matter currently before the EPRT and remains subject to the necessary regulatory process being completed, to ensure works can be timed appropriately,” said HV Hospitality.

”Moreover, the Six Senses Comino hotel will have 71 rooms and not 140, as quoted in the statement by Moviment Graffitti,” the company said.

File photo: HV Hospitality

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