An outline permit issued two days before the March 8 election, for the construction of a restaurant on the second floor of the existing Exiles waterpolo club, did not have the blessing of the Sliema Local council, as insinuated in the case officer report.
The proposed development will result in a 220% increase in the floor area currently occupied by the Exiles waterpolo club.
According to the current proposal, the footprint of the project will increase from 100 square metres to 230 square metres, and a 135 square metre upper floor, to be used as a restaurant, will be added.
At present the only building on the site is a 100 square metre single storey building which forms the club’s premises. Adjacent to this club’s premises there is also a structure belonging to third parties used as a bar.
The permit was issued on condition that the development has to recede further back from the coastline before it is finally approved through a full permit.
The DPA report refers to “consultations” with the local council, claiming that the Sliema council “found no objection to the works provided that all the current rights for the general beach user are safeguarded and beach concessions which hamper general public use are not increased."
But Sliema mayor Marina Arrigo made it clear that ever since she was elected mayor, the Council “was not made aware of any plans, works or proposed developments, let alone consulted.”
In this way the council did not have any way to check whether this development hampered public access to the site.
She also told MaltaToday that the council has written to MEPA asking for a clarification to the DPA report.
According to the mayor the DPA report referred to a letter sent by the council to MEPA in October 2005, but it completely ignored another letter previously sent by the council. Arrigo claims that the DPA report “could very well mislead the reader.”
She refers to a council letter written on 9 June 2005, wherein the council had requested details of the proposed works/development.
“The Council had also stressed that it should be consulted on this matter before any permit is issued so as to ensure that there will be no inconvenience to residents nor any erosion of residents' rights over the beach.”
According the case officer report the increase in the floor space of the bar area at the lower level and floor space of the restaurant at the first floor would require the provision of more parking
“This issue may be considered in further depth in any subsequent ‘Full Development’ permit application.”
The design of the proposed development is quite innovative style with slightly angled roofing, large glazed walls and curved wings which according to a project development statement should help to reduce the need for mechanical ventilation and cooling.
Sliema’s Green Party councillor Michael Briguglio who is responsible for coastal areas expressed concern that the development would increase the flow of traffic in the area.
“We already have a big problem of people parking illegally on the rocky shore,” Briguglio told MaltaToday.
The case officer report states that the parking issue should be addressed when the full development permit is issued.
The DPA report justified the development claiming that the concentration of waterpolo clubs along the Sliema Promenade is adequate justification for this type of development to occur.
Although the project was initially deemed to require an Environment Impact Assessment, this obligation was waived after the developers presented a detailed project development statement.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt