Qajjenza promenade to encroach on shoreline

The new Qajjenza promenade in Birzebbugia will be encroaching on the foreshore after original plans to construct a timber walkway supported by a steel structure were deemed to require a “high degree of maintenance” because of “ever rising sea levels”.

According to the proposal approved by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on Wednesday the new promenade will be supported by a retaining wall, which will be built on a concrete base on the coastline.  

Both the Environment Protection Directorate (EPD) and the Natural Heritage Advisory Committee (NHAC) objected to the latest changes to the project approved last year.  According to the NHAC the project will take up a significant area of the foreshore and at certain parts the promenade will even encroach on the seabed.

The EPD insisted that the project as revised would contribute to the take up of the coast, which should be kept open and undeveloped. 

The proposal approved in 2014 had envisaged a timber promenade supported by a steel structure, which would not have encroached on the coastline.

But the Works Division architect insisted that the support for such a structure would still have had to be fixed with bolts to the ground, something which would have required the levelling of parts of the coastline.  

The case officer assessing the project on behalf of MEPA agreed with the architect, concluding that “the amended project would ensure minimum maintenance, particularly in view of the ever rising sea levels.”