Memorandums of understanding and contracts on the transfer of public land were signed with 11 sports organisations in the run-up to the last general election, one of them as late on the ‘day of reflection’, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
However, three of these organisations are finding it difficult to put the land to good use and are in talks with the Government on the way forward.
A report seen by this newspaper shows these agreements were signed in February and March, granting sports organisations stretches of public land administered by the Kunsill Malti għall-Isport.
The Malta Rugby Football Union was granted a large stretch in Għajn Dwieli to build a new rugby stadium. The agreement had been signed in February during an event attended by then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sports Clyde Puli.
A spokesman for the new Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth and Sports said the rugby organisation was in talks with the Government because the site they were granted in the valley close to the Three Cities does not seem suitable for a rugby pitch.
The rugby organisation, which is to be given €500,000 for the development of the site, has been granted the use of the land for 49 years. The land is valued at €650,000.
The Malta Motor Sports Federation has also encountered problems with the Mellieħa quarry it was granted for development of a race track.
A federation spokesman said the quarry is currently being used as a rubbish dump for seaweed and other material collected through dredging at sea. He said no alternative site has been identified to store such material.
The agreement signed on the eve of the election with the Ħal Far Model Flying Association is also proving to be problematic as the site it was given, valued at €12.74 million, is currently being used to store containers which cannot be relocated elsewhere.
A spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth and Sports said discussions were underway to identify solutions.
Another memorandum of understanding was signed on March 5 with the Judo Association, which was granted land in Pembroke worth €60,000 as well as premises for its new academy. The association is also being granted €400,000 for its academy.
Other agreements include Qormi Football Club being given land worth €26,000 on March 5, the Rebel Riders (a motorcycle club) granted a room measuring 40 square metres in Pembroke worth €1,400, and Fgura United and Santa Lucija Football Club granted additional land, worth €99,000 and €159,000 respectively, adjacent to their premises.
Another agreement was signed on February 13, when the Birżebbuġa Sports Foundation was granted land worth close to €330,000 and measuring approximately 10,000 square metres, to build a football pitch.
On the same day, an MOU was signed with the Outdoor Sports Organisation, in which it was granted land measuring almost 500 square metres in Marsascala, valued at €16,000.
mxuereb@timesofmalta.com