Two planning applications which sought planning permission for the construction or extension of lidos along the Sliema foreshore were this afternoon turned down by the planning authority board.
The board agreed with the Planning Directorate’s recommendation and cited that the rocky coast needed to be protected for its ecological value while public access around the immediate coastline needed to remain safeguarded.
In the first application, planning permission was sought for the extension of the existing Preluna Beach Club onto the adjacent rocky coast right under the Fortizza landmark.
The proposed project included the replacing of the existing concrete platform of the lido and its extension by an additional 180m² across existing natural rock to create an area to be used for the placing and hiring of sunbeds and umbrellas.
The second planning application was for the construction of a new lido on the Qui-si-sana rocky foreshore between both the existing Plevna Hotel Beach Club and The Lido.
Both applicants claimed that these stretches of rocky foreshores were unusable, not accessible to the public and in a neglected state.
This was contested by Astrid Vella of Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, the Sliema council and the planning directorate. They insisted that both beaches were fully accessible and in use.
Ms Vella pointed out that FAA had organised a petition against the takeover of public beaches for commercial purposes which attracted more than 2,000 signatures.
She also highlighted the government’s pledge to take shoreland into public ownership and insisted that handing over more of the coast for commercial premises would violate this pledge.
Both developers insisted that the works would enhance the beaches for public use.
However, when pressed by board members as to whether public use would be against payment, Joe Preca, who was representing the Preluna, admitted that this had not yet been looked into.
Architect Edward Said, for the Sliema council explained how both projects impacted the heritage aspect of the beaches, which included the Grade 1 scheduled Fortizza and a WW2 searchlight emplacement, one of only three such surviving structures.