PA orders San Antonio hotel to remove illegal beach lido extension

The Planning Authority has ordered the removal of a brand-new extension to San Antonio hotel’s beach lido for not complying with previous sanctions. 

In the middle of Bugibba’s perched beach, San Antonio’s Nine Lives lido has bothered residents ever since its creation, with many complaining that it takes space away from the public. 

While the lido had been approved in 2017 by the PA - flush with a bar and lounge area - the bar was eventually moved without permission next to a sunbed area. 

In 2021, the move was regularised by the PA, the authority specifying that the beach furniture be “temporary” and the bar be “mobile”. 

Earlier this month, residents began sharing photos of a brand-new extension to the lido: a boxy room with metal legs sitting atop a rocky outcrop. 

"Local bathers squeezed out of public beach as this restaurant lays down more tables year after year,” MEP candidate Arnold Cassola wrote on Facebook, sharing photos of the new structure. 

Responding to questions sent by MaltaToday, a PA spokesperson confirmed that the extension had not been approved by the authority and went against the previous sanction: PA/06778/20. 

“Works have been stopped and the operator has been instructed to rectify the situation,” the spokesperson said, clarifying that San Antonio has also been served with a warning. The San Antonio hotel is run by db Group. 

“If the instructions are not complied with, the Authority will proceed with formal enforcement action, in line with standard procedure,” they said. 

In the 2021 sanction, the case officers report also specified that the bar - which effectively creates a club atmosphere on a large chunk of the beach – can only operate between April and November and must be removed during the winter. 

Responding to questions sent by MaltaToday, a db Group spokesperson said they will be "submitting an application to sanction the additions to former approved permits."