A wall at the entrance to the picturesque valley of Wied ix-Xoqqa in Kalafrana - supposedly public land - has angered residents who normally enjoy fishing in the area, or use it for recreation and swimming.
It has only left space for a footpath, much to the dismay of Frans Buhagiar from neighbouring Safi.
Birżebbugia mayor Joe Farrugia said he had called the Malta Environment and Planning Authority about the wall and had no doubt it would be torn down. The authority had stipulated in the permit for a gas plant to be built in the area that access to the sea could not be closed off. However, about three weeks later, the wall is still standing.
Wied ix-Xoqqa is the only area from Birżebbugia to Wied Iż-Żurrieq that offers access to the sea, Mr Buhagiar said. It was the only unpolluted spot in the south, excluding Delimara, where bathing was possible without tasting diesel and petrol.
It was a sought-after recreational area for families from the locality and surroundings, MUSEUM members and children, particularly in summer and on Sundays, as well as for fishermen, Mr Buhagiar said.
To add insult to injury, on a recent attempt to spend some time fishing in the area, he also stumbled across corrugated metal sheets and building debris, dumped in the entrance to the valley, he said.
He feared the public would no longer be able to enjoy it due to the gas plant development, despite the fact that it was accessable to the public for so long.
A fence had already been put up, closing off access to the valley, but it had been torn down, he said. Mr Buhagiar appealed to the local council to ensure the coastline was not developed.
"In view of the lack of beaches in the south of the island, I expect our politicians to assure us that, no matter how great the need is for development, Wied ix-Xoqqa would be excluded from any project, so that our children would be able to enjoy it too."
The mayor, on the other hand, had no problems with the development, saying the council approved the move of the gas plant from the heart of Qajjenza to Wied ix-Xoqqa, which was for the benefit of the residents.
He did not feel the development would ruin the environment, being built in a quarry and not encroaching on the coastline, but added that the access issue was a problem.