A proposed beach concession at Għadira Bay would spell the end of the only barbecue area in what is arguably Malta’s most popular beach, the Mellieħa council has warned.
An outline application by the Mellieħa Holiday Centre, or the Danish Village as it is also known, would impact an area the size of half a football pitch.
Under this proposal, the developer is seeking to erect demountable platforms, pathways and trees on a 50-metre stretch of the shore, which is a special area of conservation and includes prehistoric cart ruts.
The application, which is being recommended for approval, had been filed in 2006, but prior to that the planning authority had twice shot down similar applications from the same applicant.
Mayor Dario Vella, whose five-year term as mayor began at the start of this month, noted that in submissions filed in 2006 and 2016 the council had already notified its objection to further beach concessions to the planning authority. His stance was echoed by various other Mellieħa councillors on social media.
Should such a permit be issued, there would be no barbecue area left at Għadira Bay, he said.
There are concerns that such a beach concession would set a precedent
Measuring about 2,500 square metres, the area in question had been designated as the only barbecue-friendly part of the bay about a decade ago, as a prerequisiteto acquire the blue flag certification. Nonetheless, a permit from the council is still required against a fee, and various conditions apply, including mandatory use of gas barbecues and that such events may only be held after 6pm.
This public land had been leased to the company by the defunct government property division in 1986, but apart from a tunnel linking the Mellieħa Holiday Centre to the beach, it was never developed for its intended purpose as a private beach. The only facilities installed were some wooden picnic benches by the council.
Though the proposal is recommended for approval, this would not necessarily mean that the project would materialise immediately. This is due to the fact that the developer is seeking an outline permit – the term used to determine if the scale and nature of a proposed development is acceptable or not. Consequently, an approval at this stage must be followed by the submission of more detailed plans.
While space on the beach is at a premium, there are concerns that such a beach concession would set a precedent for Seabank and Mellieħa Bay Hotel to demand a similar facility.
Ironically, the government is in the process of extending the beach to cater for the ever-increasing influx of tourists and reverse the erosion of sand, which has resulted in the beach getting smaller. The beach regeneration project is still at an early stage, and a study had been carried out last year.
Established in 1975, the Mellieħa Holiday Centre is registered at the headquarters of the General Workers Union in Valletta. GWU president Victor Carachi and former general secretary Tony Zarb are listed among the director, judicial and legal representatives.
The complex is in the process of being expanded, and a permit for the construction of 30 new bungalows was recently issued.