Watch: Unfinished ‘capitainerie’ in limbo month after court annuls permit
500-square-metre project received PA approval in 2023. Works began in 2024 before court made its final decision on the permit
Transport Malta is “discussing the way forward” a month after a court annulled the permit for a partly built ‘capitainerie’ along the Gżira Marina.
Construction works for offices and a restaurant were already under way when the court made its decision in February. One month later, no decision has been made on the project.
Transport Minister Chris Bonett said the authority “took note” of the court ruling.
“Now we are in the stage of seeing with the company that has the concession what the next steps are,” he said.
The ‘capitainerie’ project received Planning Authority approval on July 28, 2023.
Works began on November 8, 2024, before court made its final decision on the permit.
The plan was to transform the area into an office space with meeting rooms, a retail outlet, a restaurant and an outdoor catering area.
Meanwhile, objectors filed an appeal with the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT). That appeal was rejected in October 2024, and objectors, led by residents and NGO Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA), then took their case to court, which handed down its judgment in February.
Times of Malta on Thursday asked Bonett what Transport Malta’s next steps were following the court decision. He said the way forward was still being discussed.
“We have to ensure that the rights of residents, the concession holder and the government are all upheld,” he said.
The 150-page concession agreement was tabled in parliament in December after PN MP Albert Buttigieg filed PQs over the matter. The document shows that the consortium Gardens Marina Ltd acquired a 25-year concession for the site in 2020.
The company, jointly directed by businessmen Matthew Fiorini Lowell, Paul Joseph Gauci, Mark Gauci and Patrick Satariano, agreed to pay €2.2 million upfront.
The following year, they were required to pay a fee of €150,000, with the annual fee increasing by 10 per cent each year.
The consortium also agreed to upgrade, embellish and landscape the Gżira Garden (Council of Europe), Bonett said.