White Rocks clean-up marks first step towards national park
600 tonnes of waste removed as parts of the once-derelict site will become accessible 'soon'
The first steps in the regeneration of the controversial White Rocks complex in Pembroke took shape this week with an extensive clean-up process as parts of the site will become accessible “soon”.
More than 600 tonnes of waste was collected over three days through a joint effort between Project Green and Clean Malta. Years of neglect had left the area covered in accumulated waste and overgrown vegetation.
The White Rocks is a sprawling, derelict site Situated on the coast between Pembroke and Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, the White Rocks is a sprawling, derelict site covering a huge swathe of prime public coastal land.
Last November, the Prime Minister announced White Rocks will be transformed into a national park, cancelling a public call for development on the 450,000 square metre site.
"At White Rocks, I want us to build the most beautiful park, and I’m asking environmental NGOs to help us do it," Robert Abela had told parliament, adding he will guarantee the site is never developed in the future.
On Friday, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said parts of the site will be made accessible to the public “in the not-too-distant future” while long-term plans are drawn up following the public consultation.
“The public consultation on the three national parks is still ongoing and many ideas have come in, particularly regarding White Rocks. That is why we have already launched the first initiatives, including the removal of waste on the site by the Cleansing Division – in particular construction waste – as well as work by Project Green to clear various areas,” Dalli said.
“We want people to start coming to this place, to start getting a feel for it, and we will continue to develop our ideas so that this area truly becomes a national park.”
Once the clean-up process is concluded, Project Green will trigger another phase of works, during which it will analyse the site in greater detail, including studies on the topography of the area, analysis of existing structures, as well as studies on flora and fauna.
Parliamentary Secretary for Public Cleanliness Glenn Bedingfield said the proposed park at White Rocks will be “giving back to Maltese families the largest stretch of land in our country”.
White Rocks was originally built in the 1960s as housing for British military officers and later briefly operated as a holiday complex until it was abandoned in 1995.
Since its closure, the complex has become a ruin, popular with urban explorers and graffiti artists.
Following an expression of interest in 2015, a consortium was chosen to build a €400 million luxury village including a seven-star hotel, commercial, and residential units. But negotiations stalled leaving the site in limbo, until Abela's announcement last year to transform it into a national park.