Two new kiosks proposed on coast road

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority's Natural Heritage Panel is objecting to the development of two brand new kiosks being proposed on Bahar ic-Caghaq coast outside development zones.

The two applications represent the fourth attempt to develop a kiosk in the area as three other applications for the same purpose have been refused in the past two decades.

Two separate applications have been presented by the same applicant for the development of two kiosks on public land a few meters away from each other.

The application states that although the applicant is not the owner of the site, he has notified the government of his intention to apply and "the owner has granted consent to such a proposal".

In 1994 MEPA had turned down an application presented by the same applicant to sanction a kiosk which was already selling ice cream and sweets in the same area of the present applications.

An appeal against the same decision was turned down in 1996.

In the appeal, the developers' lawyer Dr Joe Brincat had alleged discrimination citing the fact that the kiosk already exists near the parking area next to Reno's Bar. This kiosk is located 170 meters from the proposed kiosk.

In its decision, MEPA had argued that bathers are already well served by this kiosk and considering the small size of the area there was no need for a second kiosk.

The kiosk was also deemed to interrupt the view of the sea.

A concrete platform in the same area was removed by a direct action after an appeal against the enforcement action presented by the same applicant was rejected.

In its decision, the appeal board than chaired by Kevin Aquilina concluded that MEPA had not discriminated against the applicant and that the application had been turned down as it was in breach of structure plan policies. A second application on the same site presented by the same applicant was rejected in 1998.

An application by another prospective kiosk owner in the same area was turned down in 2000.