Updated | Coast Road kiosk applicant erroneously listed as government official

Government has denied that it applied for a small kiosk on the Coast Road, saying that the applicant mistakenly identified himself as a government official.

The private applicant, Charles Micallef, applied for a small kiosk which would include outdoor space for tables and chairs, situated on a site currently occupied by a container parked there during roadworks.

Private applicants have already placed interest on other parts of the EU-funded road to erect their own kiosks, but since the land is publicly-owned their permits must ensure they have a “no objection” from the Environment Protection Directorate. Only those with this relevant planning application will be considered in any future government tender for the grant of the land.

Previously owners were only obliged to notify the government of their intentions, leading the Government Property Division to issue its consent after a planning decision is taken and a tender is issued. This led to a situation where people applied to build on strategic public land to get an advantage over others before a tender is issued.

Transport Malta will also be issuing a tender for works to return another redundant stretch of the Coast Road at Bahar ic-Caghaq to its “original state”. This part had been left redundant after the re-alignment of the road and has already attracted interest for the development of a private beach, car park, apart from interest in a petrol station and two kiosks located opposite the new roundabout.