The government has suspended a planning application that would have allowed caravans on a temporary site along the coast road in Baħar ic-Cagħaq.

The application had been resisted by Naxxar local council which observed that it made no provision for basic facilities.

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced in a Facebook post that after consultaton with the local council and Infrastructure Minister Aaron Farrugia, the application was being suspended.

This, he said, was being done so that the authorities could work on a holistic plan that would eliminate conflicts over land use for recreational purposes, identify the most suitable sites, and ensure that such land use was structured and had the least environmental impact possible. 

The Planning Authority had been due to vote on the application later this week, having put off the vote from June 22.

The application was filed last year by Infrastructure Malta and has sought permission for a ‘temporary caravan site’ in a zone marked as ‘il-Għoqot’ in Triq is-Salini, the coast road in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq.

According to Naxxar mayor Ann Marie Muscat Fenech Adami, however, the applicant left out basic details such as how the site would be provided with the necessary facilities, such as drainage, electricity, water, toilets and showers.

“We were never against a caravan site, but this application does not take into consideration the amenities required by such a site, and it also ignores the visual impact,” Muscat Fenech Adami said.

The mayor also asked for clarification of the word ‘temporary’ and whether the word applied to the caravans or the site itself.