Plans to turn Xemxija into sandy beach

20,000 to 25,000 cubic metres of imported coarse sand will be required for the replenishment of the beach.

Artistic impression of the proposed replenished beach at Xemxija.
Artistic impression of the proposed replenished beach at Xemxija.

The Malta Tourism Authority is proposing a project to replenish the heavily eroded sandy beach at Xemxija in St Paul's Bay with a national beach facility at a par with Golden Bay and Mellieha Bay.

It is estimated that 20,000 to 25,000 cubic metres of imported coarse sand will be required for the replenishment of the beach. The replenished beach would have a potential area of 6,000 square metres.

This emerges from a Project Development Statement presented to MEPA by ADI consultants on behalf of the MTA.

It is planned that the beach will be replenished by summer of next year.

The project is envisaged to improve Malta's beach offer following the success of the replenishment at St George's Bay and the creation of the perched beach at Bugibba; both of which have since been awarded the Blue Flag award. Photos show that by 1957 the Xemxija beach was already greatly eroded, though sand was still present across the width of the bay. Only a small pocket of sand in the northwest corner of the bay still exists.

It is not clear when the beach started to erode, but the likeliest cause is the construction of the road across the back of the bay, which may have been built over the beach itself.

A chemical analysis has shown that the quality of the water has established that the water in the bay meets bathing water quality criteria. Hence, there is no impediment to the site's re-use as a bathing area.

The most significant negative environment impact of the project would be the burying of the inner parts of the bay with alien imported geological material and the potential loss of replenishment material that may impact benthic habitats outside the footprint of the beach.

On the positive side, the new project will relieve pressure on other beaches like Ghadira and Golden Bay.

No sand found

The possibility of using sand already found on the site, possibly buried under the road, was discarded since investigations showed that not enough sand was available. The investigation involved drilling a number of boreholes to establish whether enough sand is buried underground.

The use of sand from other bays in Malta or Gozo is being excluded as this could threaten the survival of other beaches. Neither is the use of offshore sand considered feasible.

Apart from replenishing the beach with sand, the project will also need the construction of a culvert system to collect and channel surface water escaping from the beach. This water will be discharged at the sides of the beach beyond the replenished sand.

The existing promenade will not be removed but will be upgraded with new paving and street furniture. Stairs providing access from the promenade to the beach will be introduced and beach management infrastructure in the form of a lifeguard tower and first aid clinic will be built at promenade level and a beach store and possibly also toilets constructed at beach level beneath the promenade.

The possibility of building a kiosk/cafeteria from which people would be able to hire umbrellas and sun beds, will also be explored.

But these structures will be built beneath the promenade and no structures will be allowed to be built on the sand. Other interventions will include landscaping works along the promenade and a new concept in Malta will also be explored - that of beach art. The possibility of including a section reserved for a play structure for small children will also be considered.

The search for sand

Sandy beaches are a scarce resource due to the islands' geomorphology: sandy beaches comprise less than 3% of the entire coastline. According to the report the major cause of beach erosion were roads that were built over beaches or their sand dunes located in their immediate hinterland.

"Several such examples exist, including Balluta Bay, Mellieha Bay, St George's Bay, Qalet Marku Bay, and Xemxija itself."

In order to reverse this trend, in 2003, the MTA embarked on a national strategy that to study the possibility of and eventually replenish existing or former beaches in a number of tourism strategic
localities.

So far Malta has embarked on two artificial beaches one in Qawra and one in Saint George's Bay.

A report identified five potential locations where such projects can be viable. These included Xemxija, Tal-Ghasselin, Bugibba Square, the Dolmen Beach Club area) and Qawra Point.

Of the other alternatives considered, the perched beach at Ix-Xtajta ta' Bugibba (Dolmen Beach Club area) was implemented and the beach facility created in 2006.

The proposed intervention at Qawra Point was studied between 2009 and 2010 but was found not to be feasible; while the Tal-Ghasselin, St Paul's Bay was deemed to be too small a project.

The final location - that on the coast below Bay Square, Bugibba, has also not been considered further at this stage due to the higher risk involved. Although deemed the costliest of the options considered, the replenishment of Xemxija would be the most beneficial from a tourism and recreation potential as it would result in a national facility at a par with Golden Bay and Mellieha Bay.