Jolly Jump water park has no planning or catering permits

A water park in Kordin that made headlines for the wrong reasons this week is operating without a planning or catering permit.

Jolly Jump water park is still awaiting planning permission to set up the summertime park at the Kordin National Hockey Centre, despite having opened its doors to paying visitors this week. 

Its planning application (PA 02917/26) seeks to operate a Class 3C temporary water park between June and September, including the installation of tents, kiosks, synthetic turf, temporary bathrooms and set up a Class 4D bar and restaurant.  

The Planning Authority website notes the application is at the screening stage - a preliminary stage that precedes a full permit application process. No other permit is listed for the Kordin site. 

Jolly Jump advertises itself as “Malta’s first-ever inflatable waterpark” on a 10,000 square metre area featuring water slides and obstacles, a pool, food stalls and on-site parking. Weekend tickets for the park cost €24.50 for adults and €19.50 for children.

The park first opened last summer and announced its reopening this past week.

Its first days of operation were however put in the shade after a woman claimed that she was treated poorly by the establishment after badly breaking both her feet on one of its slides.

Raisa Vella said she needed surgery to insert pins into both her feet and was immobile for five months following the August 2025 incident. Jolly Jump responded by insisting safety was its main priority and that thousands had enjoyed its slides without incident. 

No permits

Public documents indicate that the park is effectively operating illegally, without a planning permit or Malta Tourism Authority licence to run a catering venue.

Newsbook, which was the first to report the site's lack of a permit, also noted that the park is being advertised on the Malta Tourism Authority's portal for tourists, Visit Malta. 

The company that runs the park, Gard Group, filed a planning application to set up the park last January.

Despite a flurry of activity in early June – Transport Malta, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, Enemalta, the Environment and Resources Authority and Malta Tourism Authority all reported no objections within the same two-day period – the permit remained pending as of Saturday.

A snack bar advertised by the water park as selling burgers, pizzas, wraps and cocktails to customers also appears to be unlicensed, as it is not listed on public licence registers for restaurants, bars, kiosks and snack bars held by the Malta Tourism Authority.

The Malta Tourism Authority’s own response to Jolly Jump’s planning application further indicates that the catering establishment is unlicensed.

“If the proposal is approved, the applicant should also pursue an operational license for a catering establishment. Therefore, the applicant is requested to submit a formal application to the Licensing Unit of the MTA once a permit is granted by the Planning Authority,” the MTA said.

Jolly Jump did not respond to Times of Malta questions about its permit and licensing status. 

Gard Group, the company behind the Jolly Jump park, describes itself as being on a mission to "provide exceptional retail and catering experiences that exceed our customers' expectations and build meaningful partnerships." 

Apart from the Jolly Jump venture, the company operates a local pizza chain and a range of convenience stores, among various investments.