Planning Commission does a U-turn and approves Fortina's ferry landing place in Balluta Bay

The Planning Commission has approved a permit for the construction of a ferry landing place in Balluta Bay proposed by the Fortina Group.

The project was opposed by the St Julians local council and environmental groups but enjoyed the support of the locality's water polo club.

The project involves berthing facilities for a hop-on hop-off ferry service in Balluta Bay run by the Fortina Group.

The decision was postponed last month after the commission indicated that it would be refusing the project on policy grounds.

The decision was met with cries of korrotti

The commission had also asked the case officer, who originally recommended approval, to compile reasons for the project’s refusal.

The two reasons for refusal were that the project is located in close proximity to an area designated as a coastal area with leisure uses and will be incompatible with the other adjacent water uses as stipulated by two local plan policies.

The proposal was also deemed to be in breach of the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED) which seeks to ensure that new developments do not create risk hazards through design and location.

But in its decision on Monday, the commission did a U-turn and approved the permit, a decision that was met by disappointment of residents and NGOs in attendance.

The decision was met with cries of “korrotti (corrupt)”.

Moviment Graffitti, which has been at the forefront of defending residents’ rights, expressed its disappointment noting that the same board members who a month ago declared their intention to refuse the application, “actively defended the Fortina application as if it were their own”.

The ferry service will be operated by Fortina Investments, using a 33-metre long boat and the proposed landing place is close to the St Julian’s water polo club.

The aim of the project as stated in documents presented by Fortina is to provide an “unlimited hop-on-hop-off services both on land and at sea”.

Captain Morgan will be operating two routes, which include the coastal route and the harbour route.

Environmentalist Claire Bonello expressed her disappointment at the decision, insisting the project is clearly precluded by the local plan which specifies that landing facilities for boats are to be restricted to Manoel Island, Pieta and the Sliema Ferries.

Moreover, the area is designated as a bathing zone in official documents related to Malta’s adherence to the Water Framework Directive.

Mario Fava, president of the Local Councils Association and a Labour councillor in Fgura, decried the decision, adding that the Planning Authority had, for the umpteenth time ignored the voices of residents and local government.

Activists have insisted the project is not meant to be an alternative mode of transport but a tourist service and will pave the way for the commercialisation of the bay.

The board justified its decision arguing that the project would be regulated by an operational permit issued by the Environment and Resources Authority.

Peter Bonavia from the St Julians’ water polo club spoke in favour of the project. The club has its own plans for a massive land reclamation project to construct a pool in the area. One of the owners of Fortina, Edward Zammit Tabona is also CEO of the water polo club.

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar reaction 

In reaction to the approval of a permit for the construction of a ferry landing place in Balluta Bay. The FAA highlighted that despite Captian Morgan insisting that it would be using non-polluting ecological vessels, the company would be able to switch to other vessels, while other companies using the ponton may not have the same condition imposed on them.  

The FAA said that the Planning Authority committee members made it amply clear that they were leaning heavily towards the developers and even defended the application as if it were their own. “They ignored the negative impacts of the pontoon on the seabed, highlighted in the developers' own report, and commented that St. Julian's is mainly a touristic area, therefore tourists have to be catered for.”

FAA spokeswoman Astrid Vella said that the ferry service would also impact tourism, given the existence of a diving school right on this site, as well as other water sports that take place in the bay. Vella highlighted the fact that the ferry could use existing facilities in Spinola bay, which is classified as a harbour.