The MIDI development on Manoel Island is based on a Development Brief issued by the Planning Authority way back in 1992.

In this brief the authority states in paragraph 7.1:

“Because all new development on Manoel Island should respect the existing canopy of the fort structures and landscape on the adjacent plateau, building heights will be restricted throughout the site. New structures will not be permitted to rise above the prescribed ceilings thereby allowing Fort Manoel continued dominance of the Island…”

On reading this, one would be tempted to say: “Great! A Planning Authority that respects our heritage and which does not want to dwarf the historical buildings already present on the Gżira island.”

The development brief specifies precisely what the allowed maximum height at Manoel Island should be, namely four floors for the main development area to the south of the island and the gateway structures.

The development brief required that “mechanical plant and tanks should be contained within a properly designed roof structure or hidden with the prescribed maximum building height”. 

It states, further, that “the floor height is considered to be approximately 3.0 metres floor to floor”.

With these parameters, multiplying the prescribed three metres per floor by four floors, and allowing for some added leeway, the total height in the main areas would be 13 metres above street level and a maximum of 18 metres above sea level respecting the topography of the Island.

This was the supposed maximum height of the whole island project. But what happened when push came to shove? The usual developer greed factor crept in, and all the recommendations of the Development Brief were thrown to the dogs.

In fact, in the existing Outline Development Permit approved in 1999 (PA 2135/94), the building heights on Manoel Island were set at a maximum of 18 metres above sea level, respecting the heights set by the development brief.

Figure 1 – Heights in 1999 plan

Figure 1 shows the elevation of the gateway area on either side of the proposed new bridge facing Gżira.

Not content with this, Midi changed its plans in 2017. The greedy Scrooge mentality was triggered off and the heights changed from a maximum of 18 metres above sea level to 25 metres above sea level. Which meant that from 13 metres above street level the building heights increased to 18.5 metres (see figure 2).

The maximum height of 18 metres above sea level required in the Planning Authority’s development brief has been stealthily transformed into 29.25m above sea level

In addition, the street level itself was also raised. Figure 2 shows the same gateway area and the proposed Isolotto Square, where the street level is raised to 6.5m above sea level and the building height is increased to 18.5m above street level.

This increase in building heights was approved and signed off by the Manoel Island Foundation, which was set up to control Midi and the development, under the Guardianship agreement.

But that is not all. The natural developer Scrooge instinct was back at work in September of 2018. That month a further change to the plans was made and the building heights increased again – this time to 29.25m above sea level (see figure 3).

Figure 2 – heights May 2017

Figure 3 – Heights September 2018

Not only that, but this increase in heights was carried out behind the back of the Manoel Island Foundation. The foundation was not informed of this change. It was completely ignored.

The latest overall height is even higher than the “canopy” of Fort Manoel required by the Development Brief, since Fort Manoel has a maximum height of 27 metres. Grandmaster Manoel de Vilhena must really be turning in his grave at the sight of the MIDI grandmasters’ greedy behaviour.

The above shows that the maximum height of 18 metres above sea level required in the Planning Authority’s Development Brief has been stealthily transformed into 29.25m above sea level. Buildings rising to 29.25m are equivalent to between nine and 10 floors high. 

There are manipulations in the plans such as the creation of a double height ground floor of 6.5m for commercial outlets. Externally this will look like one floor in the plans but it would actually allow for the creation of an additional internal full-height floor. 

The world has accepted the concept that a metre is equivalent to 100 centimetres. Exclusively in Malta, the MIDI metre seems to suffer from a severe bout of inflation or is based on an elastic band.

There are other elasticities. In 1999 the proposed residential units numbered 384 but in 2018 they were increased to 641.

We have concrete proof of how MIDI works. See what they promised nearly 20 years ago in Tigné and compare that to what they have delivered so far in 2019. Not only that, but MIDI is now demanding even more buildings on Tigné.

All this manoeuvring on the part of MIDI is also very unfair on the ‘guardianship’, which is made up of well-meaning people. The guardians were in fact given a fait accompli with regard to the changes that were made between 2017 and 2018; basically forced to accept them. MIDI continued to breach the ‘canopy’ as the building heights proposed will rise above the fort.

In contrast, the boating hobbyists and small-time fishermen will be shortchanged with the demolition of the only slipway in Sliema Creek.

Is there anything that MIDI says that is not spin or manipulation to divert attention from the true facts of their plan? Can anything they say be believed?

After the Tigné rip-off, condemned by their own former chairman for its acute lack of aesthetic sensitivity, can we trust them with Manoel Island? 

I don’t.

Arnold Cassola, an independent candidate at the next MEP elections, is former Secretary General of the European Green Party and former Italian Member of Parliament.

This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece