Crackdown on beach furniture abuse

Beach lovers may be glad to hear that a joint effort is being made by the Lands Department, the Malta Tourism Authority, the Mellieha local council and the police to remedy the crammed situation created by the excessive beach furniture at Ghadira Bay.

Inspections in the area have been carried out and the operators of beach establishments and kiosks, licensed to offer the beach furniture for hire, have been warned to abide by the conditions of their permits on two occasions, the Director of Lands within the Justice Ministry, Albert V. Mamo said.

Responding to questions by The Times, Mr Mamo also explained that further action is being considered but he preferred not to reveal what the next step would be as yet.

He explained that at Ghadira Bay there are two types of operators licensed to offer beach furniture (umbrellas and deckchairs) for hire. These are the tenants of the built-up beach establishments and the kiosk operators.

The tenant of each beach establishment has a permit to place beach gear on a defined area on the sand adjacent to the establishment and is authorised to lay out the beach gear, ready to accommodate clients, early in the morning.

Kiosk operators have a permit to place the kiosk within an identified site from where they can either engage in the sale of ice cream or the sale of food/snacks or the hiring of beach gear.

Three kiosks are licensed to offer beach furniture for hire but, unlike the tenants of the beach establishments, they do not have a defined area where to place the furniture. Therefore, the kiosk operators can only place beach gear on the sand when a client requests it.

Mr Mamo said problems started when, instead of laying down the furniture on request, licensed kiosk operators placed a considerable number of beach furniture on the sand early in the morning ready for hiring, taking up most of the front part of the sandy beach. This led the tenants of the beach establishments to occupy areas with beach furniture, ready to accommodate their clients, outside the defined areas permitted.

As a consequence, practically most of the best spots on the beach are being taken up by the operators, leaving very limited spaces for people who prefer taking their own beach gear with them.

Mr Mamo explained that permits were obtained prior to the setting up of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) in 1993.

A permit from the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) is required for an establishment to hire (not to place) deckchairs and umbrellas.

The MTA explained that according to its records, old police records and records held by the Lands Department and Mepa, all operators who hire deckchairs and umbrellas at Ghadira have permits.

The MTA's enforcement directorate conducts spot-checks on site in order to enable the authority to update its records accordingly.

Responsibility for such operations was transferred to the MTA towards the end of 2002. However, the Lands Department is responsible for providing details of the area to be used by each establishment, the authority said.

The MTA said permits granted laid down that beach furniture placed on public land must be placed strictly within the area authorised by the Lands Department.

Permits also stipulate that umbrellas and deckchairs are not to be hired or placed on public land before 7.30 a.m. and after sunset when the beach is to be kept clear of all obstacles, including fixtures in the sand.

But conditions are not always abided by and the beach has been "invaded" by furniture leaving little space for one to even lay down a towel.

The MTA said the current situation is being analysed and talks have already commenced with a view to reduce complaints. Such initiatives may include demarcation lines, beach warden supervision and info-panels.

The question, at this point is, when will they be implemented?