Lands Department refuses permit for Qawra bumping cars

The Lands Department will not issue a permit for a bumping cars ride on a tract of garigue land in Qawra, MaltaToday has learnt.

The decision was taken despite the Environment and Planning Commission's previous go-ahead.

The ride would have been built in an area owned by the government which has protected maritime status.

Strangely, EPC issued the amusement park owners the year-long permit for the ride after having imposed a number of strict conditions on the nearby National Aquarium development, in recognition of the area's protected status.

MaltaToday is also informed that the Lands Department objected to the permit in light of a contractual agreement between the government and the owners of the Malta National Aquarium.

This agreement stipulates that no commercial permit be issued within the 20-metre buffer zone around the aquarium complex. The buffer zone itself is an area of ecological importance.

Amusement park workers were seen on Saturday cutting an indigenous plant, Salicornia, in the protected maritime zone.