The Malta Tourism Authority is planning to import sand to replenish and extend the small sandy beach at Xemxija.

The proposal has been presented to Mepa in a Project Description Statement (PDS) and follows the lines of the St George's Bay project.

ADi Associates, which submitted the report on the MTA's behalf, said  the MTA had embarked on a national strategy that aims to study the possibility of and eventually replenishing  existing or former beaches in a number of tourism strategic localities.       

The five locations identified for further assessment in the St Paul's Bay-Bugibba-Xemxija; Tal-Ghasselin, St Paul's Bay; Bugibba Square; Ix-Xtajta ta' Bugibba (Dolmen Beach Club area); and Qawra Point.

The interventions considered for these five locations ranged from replenishment of beaches ranging from 1,000 m2 (at Qawra Point) to 6,000sq metre to creation of artificial beach facilities (pocket beaches and perched beaches).  

Tthe proposal for Xemxija beach replenishment project is to recreate the former beach in this bay. The replenished beach, which will most likely require the use of coarse sand, will have a potential area of 6,000 square metres (a 25m wide dry beach across the width of the bay) with direct access to the water.

 Of the other alternatives considered, the perched beach at Ix-Xtajta ta' Bugibba
(Dolmen Beach Club area) was implemented and the beach facility created in 2006; the proposed intervention at Qawra Point was studied between 2009 and 2010 but was found not to be feasible; while the Tal-Ghasselin, St Paul's Bay was deemed to be too small a project and would require addressing several conflicting uses / existing uses. The final location - that on the coast below Bay Square, Bugibba, has also not been considered further at this stage due to the higher risk involved.

The replenishment of Xemxija, though the costliest of the options, was
identified as being the project that provides the highest value from a tourism and
recreation potential. The replenishment of Xemxija would create a national facility at a par with Golden Bay and Mellieha Bay.

Of the original beach only a small pocket at the northwestern corner still exists.
Though varying in extent throughout the year, this small sandy pocket rarely covers more than 50m of the shoreline and typically has a width of around 8m.

The proposed project involves the replenishment of the former beach using
imported sand. The possibility of using in situ sand was discarded since investigations showed that not enough sand was available and the use of sand from other bays in Malta or Gozo is not feasible since not a large enough sand reservoir exists or else the interference with the beach systems in other locations would be detrimental to their own survival. The use of offshore sand reservoirs was also discarded since analysis of offshore sand samples from a number of locations (e.g. Xlendi Bay, Balluta Bay, etc) over the years has indicated that sand that has been submerged for a number of years would have eroded such that the mean grain size is very low.

The specifications of the sand to be used (mean grain size, minimum and maximum size limit, specific gravity, etc.), will be determined following the hydrodynamic modelling studies that are still to be carried out. These will identify the type of sand that will provide a stable beach under varying storm conditions.

However, current estimates indicate that the mean sediment grain size will likely be lower than that used for the replenishment of St George's Bay and the creation of the Perched Beach at Bugibba and may open the possibility for the utilisation of silica sand rather than granite.

The amount of sand required for the replenishment of the beach is estimated at 20 -25,000 cubic metres.

Apart from the placement of sand, the Scheme will involve the construction of a
culvert system to collect and channel surface water run-off away from the beach.
This water will be discharged at the sides of the beach beyond the replenished sand.

The existing promenade will not be removed but will be upgraded with new paving and street furniture. Stairs providing access from the promenade to the beach will be introduced and beach management infrastructure in the form of a lifeguard tower and first aid clinic will be built at promenade level and a beach store and possibly also toilets constructed at beach level beneath the promenade.

The possibility of building a kiosk / cafeteria (including hiring of umbrellas and sun beds), to service the beach users will also be explored. The preference is for all such structures to be built exclusively beneath the promenade and no structures will be allowed to be built (permanently or temporarily) on the sand; however, the final decision will depend on the feasibility of doing this in view of potential conflicts with underground infrastructure in the area.

Other interventions will include landscaping works along the promenade and a new concept in Malta will also be explored - that of beach art. The possibility of including a section reserved for a play structure for small children will also be considered.