The Planning Authority has given the go-ahead to plans to install water and electricity at two sites earmarked for caravans.

But caravan owners remain unhappy with the arrangement, saying the sites selected by authorities are run-down and far too small.

“The places that they are giving us are the most dilapidated and degraded areas of the locality,” Camping Club Malta president David Aquilina told Times of Malta.

Last week, applications to designate two areas as "temporary caravan sites" were accepted by the Planning Authority: Qortin it-Twil in Mellieħa and Tal-Għoqot in Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq, Naxxar.

This means that these sites will be renovated with utilities such as power and water for caravaners who want to reserve a spot on the 20- to 25-plot sites.

The DNO applications were filed by representatives of each locality's respective local council. 

'We are still not happy'

However, Aquilina said that despite being given spots that promise comfort for the motorhomes and their owners, this is far from a win for the vehicular hobbyists.

“We are still not happy,” he said, claiming that neither local council has contacted the association to ask where they would want their spots to be or what they would like to see at the sites.

Even if the sites are fantastic, he said they will only be able to fit a maximum of 25 vehicles in a single site, meaning that the limited space will see the island’s hundreds of caravaners and campers fight for the slots.

The designated sites will be available for caravan and motorhome owners to use against a €10 per day fee, for stretches of up to seven days at a time. The fee will include access to water and electricity. 

Those who opt to park in non-designated areas can apply for renewable three-day permits for €5 a day.

Those regulations were introduced earlier this year. It is the first time that caravan use has been regulated in Malta. 

Caravan and camper owners have objected to the Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq site, saying the new regulations were being rushed through and that the designated site was dirty and did not allow for swimming.

"They want to put us in Magħtab," one caravan owner had said in frustration in July, referring to the landfill nearby. 

Aquilina said that many local councils appear to be reluctant to designate areas as caravan sites and noted that localities like Kalkara and Birżebbuġa, which are popular with caravan owners, have not identified any potential sites. 

“Culture Minister Owen Bonnici doesn’t want to listen,” Aquilina said, as even on a national level, the association has been left in the dark.

“There is no balance, it is completely one-sided. If the minister thinks the situation is balanced, he has no idea what he is talking about,” he continued, recalling that the minister had previously claimed that both sides are happy with current legislation.