Firing up the barbecue grill at Golden Bay is no longer the last-minute option it once was, with small-sized barbecues at the popular bay now also requiring a permit.

Anyone planning a barbecue of up to 15 people at Golden Bay and the designated BBQ area at Għadira must now plan ahead and obtain a €5 permit from Mellieħa council first, following a council decision to amend bylaws governing beachside grilling.

The change, which had been proposed as far back as 2016,  extends permit rules already in force for barbecues larger than 15 people to smaller groups, and also introduces a ban on charcoal barbecues at the two popular beaches. Instead, only gas-fired barbecues will be allowed.

Would-be grillers can obtain a permit by emailing the local council on customercare.mellieha.lc@gov.mt or mellieha.lc@gov.mt. They will then be sent bank transfer details, with the permit sent to them by email once payment has cleared.

If you’re wed to the charcoal experience, you can instead ask Mellieħa local council for permission to cook up a storm at one of the other bays in the area – Mistra, Torri l-Abjad, Armier, Little Armier or Mellieħa’s three camping sites – where no fuel restrictions are in place.

READ: eNGOs say banning barbecues is not enough to keep our beaches clean

Permit costs at the local council’s beaches are based on the number of people involved, a council spokesperson explained.

Barbecues for up to 15 people will cost €5, with costs doubling to €10 for events of up to 50 people. Permits for cook-ups for anything between 51 and 100 people cost €15, with a €50 fee for anything larger than that. Registered NGOs are exempt of charges.

“We will also introduce time restrictions only allowing barbecues from 6.30pm onwards during the summer season, once Blue Flag rules come into place,” they said.

But what if you can’t be bothered – or simply forget – to plan ahead and get a permit for your family barbecue?

In that case, you could always shift the event over a couple of kilometres to Ġnejna Bay, which falls within the Mġarr local council’s remit.

There, small groups of up to 15 people can still whip out the grill – be it gas or charcoal - without any paperwork. Groups between 16 and 49 people will need to speak to Mġarr local council, fork out a €6.99 fee and pay a €20 refundable deposit, with permit fees rising to €23.29 for groups larger than 50.

“Regardless of the group’s size, we expect everyone to leave the beach as they found it and to keep music down past 11pm,” the spokesperson said.

And if the prospect of carrying a barbecue down and then back up Għajn Tuffieħa’s dreaded stairs has you undeterred, perhaps the beach’s more complicated rules might.

Since the bay is managed by the Gaia Foundation, anyone keen on a Riviera sizzle will need to speak to them first, an Mġarr council spokesman explained.