Lands Authority clears db Group pool on public coast

The Lands Authority had issued its consent for a development application submitted by the db Group to demolish a historic boathouse in St George’s Bay.

Dating back to the end of the 19th century the boathouse will make way for a pool and deck on public land. The company does not yet have any rights on the land.

The clearance was issued on 13 November, a few days before the application was validated and published by the Planning Authority.

The proposal forms part of a wider development by db Group at St George’s Bay. The original project, which includes a 12-storey hotel and two 17-storey towers, was approved by the Planning Authority in 2021. In December 2025, the authority approved a further revision allowing an additional seven storeys on each of the two towers.

The Lands Authority clearance allows the applicants to proceed with the planning application. Nonetheless, the authority made it clear that approval is strictly limited to the application process and does not confer any legal title or ownership rights over the land.

In its planning application, the db Group had declared that the boathouse site is government-owned.

This declaration prompted Momentum to submit a freedom of information request seeking contracts, leases, or encroachment records relating to the boathouse and surrounding shoreline, as well as minutes from Lands Authority board meetings and any previous development applications for the site.

Research carried out by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) shows that the boathouse proposed for demolition, historically formed part of the St George’s Barracks complex.

According to the SCH, the footprint of the structure is recorded on the 1897 Ordnance Survey and a 1926 military plan, which confirms that the building functioned as a boathouse intended to accommodate small military vessels. The SCH noted that the building may have architectural features warranting preservation, which would need to be integrated into any proposed development.

The SCH stated that it is unable to adequately assess the impact of the proposed demolition and associated works because no internal photographs of the structure were submitted with the planning application, despite such documentation being required for buildings identified on the 1968 survey where demolition is proposed. The heritage watchdog has therefore reserved comment pending the submission of a detailed photographic survey.