No-show from Gzira council as MEPA approves waterfront lido

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has approved two restaurants and a large private swimming pool over a total area of 2,300 square metres of reclaimed land along the Gzira promenade

Pedestrians will only be able to walk along the sea on a two-metre wide walkway – the space required by two people walking side by side.

While the existing promenade will be retained, sea views will be interrupted by the approved private facilities that will serve four Gzira hotels.

The Gzira council withdrew its earlier objection after the project was entirely located on reclaimed land. No representative of the Labour-led council attended the meeting, leading to a rebuke from MEPA chairman Vince Cassar.

Hotelier Michael Stivala said the areas will be accessible for free for Gzira residents but he could not specify which areas and services will be free, apart from a number of pool memberships for  Gzira council (for the use of residents).

The planning directorate claimed that having two restaurants instead of one larger one secured “the sense of openness” for those walking along promenade. But a shortfall of 14 parking spaces caused by the development did not include the spaces taken up by future patrons of the  two restaurants, with the excuse being that the outlets will be mainly used by hotel residents even though they will be open to the general public.

Fishermen from the Ghaqda Sajjieda Gzira objected to the project due to a loss of berthing spaces. Architect Edwin Mintoff claimed that these berthing spaces will be relocated to an unspecified place. No consultation was held with the organization. Chairman Vince Cassar called on developers to commence discussions before a full permit is issued.

Board member Victor Axiaq expressed that the project could set a precedent for other developments, and that the lido should be seen in the context of other developments like the Midi Tigné Point project and other hotels in the area. He called for a masterplan for the entire area before individual projects are approved

NGOs’ representative Alex Vella objected to the fact that he restaurant patrons were not being included when assessing the parking impact of the project, but MEPA chief executive Johann Buttigieg claimed that people would not visit the area specifically for the restaurants.

Adrian Mallia of ADI Consultants, who drew up the project’s environmental impact assessment, acknowledged that dredging works may release polluted sediments from the seabed even if this problem had been addressed through a construction of a retaining sea wall.

But he confirmed that the project would have a major visual impact on people walking along the Gzira coast and agreed for the need of a holistic study for the entire area.