Talks over land use for Armier beach room project

Armier Developments Ltd, the Lands Department and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority are discussing the land that would be required for the proposed beach room project in Armier.

Tarcisio Barbara, chairman of the Boathouse Owners' Association and of Armier Developments Ltd, said, when contacted yesterday, the company had accepted a set of seven conditions made by the government so that the project would be carried out by Armier Developments Ltd.

The land issue appears to be the last hurdle before Mepa could decide over the permit for the project, through which the company, set up by the Armier boathouse owners, committed itself to oversee the government's scheme to demolish illegal boathouses and replace them with 1,575 beach rooms, of which a number would be available to the public.

When the company indicated the area to be taken up for the project, there were strong objections on grounds that it included arable land.

The government is proposing that the land in question, excluding arable land, would be given to the company on emphytheusis for 65 years through a parliamentary resolution.

Other conditions include a commitment by the company to build no fewer than 500 units reserved to persons who are not occupying a boathouse. Furthermore, the occupants of units will each pay a one-time sum of money equivalent to the money spent by the government to supply the units with water, electricity, to lay drainage pipes and to build streets to the units.

Emphytheusis would be of Lm157,000 annually, which would be payable two years after the permits are issued.

Mr Barbara said the company accepted the conditions.

The boat owners association had proposed that old boathouses would be rehabilitated instead of demolished but this was turned down by the government.

Mr Barbara estimates that the project would cost about Lm5 million.

www.armierdevelopments.com