Updated 5.55pm with MIDI's reaction

MIDI has rejected claims it wants to build a series of 10-storey apartment blocks at Manoel Island, contradicting statements made by the Democratic Party earlier on Saturday.

The development of Manoel Island contemplates a series of residential clusters which do not exceed four floors, the consortium said in a statement.

The residential clusters will be built on a sub structure, built to house service roads, car parks and infrastructure, which extends up to eight metres above sea level. The overall building heights on Manoel Island will range from 20.8 metres to 27.5 metres when measured from mean sea level, with the highest points being at the centre of the island in view of its topography, MIDI said.

Earlier, PD declared itself against new proposals submitted by MIDI to reclaim land from the side of Manoel Island that faces the Gżira promenade.

MEP candidate Anthony Buttigieg said in a statement on Saturday the new blocks meant that more than a quarter of the area of the inlet sea between the Gżira promenade and Manoel Island, stretching from the far end of the yacht yard to the bridge, would be landfilled to accommodate MIDI. He said more reclaimed land on the Gżira side was to be given to two adjoining hotels so that they share a lido.

“This is sheer nonsense. It has strong negative impacts,” Dr Buttigieg said.

MEP candidate Camilla Appelgren added that land reclamation always comes at the cost of damage to an ecosystem and should be the very last resort when all other options have been exhausted.

PD said it was not in favour of such a proposal as detailed by MIDI and supported Gżira residents in their concerns.

It noted that the Public Domain Act had been intentionally side-lined and thrown in the abyss, and Malta’s environmental legislation was too weak to safeguard encroachment of development on reclaimed coastal land.

Not a new proposal - MIDI

But in reaction, MIDI said the reclamation of the sea area in front of Gżira is not a new proposal.

The reclamation of the area between the existing bridge and the yacht yard is a contractual obligation in terms of the deed of emphyteusis between MIDI and the government.

The reclamation is contemplated in the existing outline development permit and the same area is included for reclamation in the new outline development application.

The reclaimed area in front of the yacht yard is to be allocated to the government for use by the yacht yard and the area reclaimed at the entrance to Manoel Island will be developed by MIDI.

In order to reduce the impact on the Gżira waterfront, the new outline development application contemplates that the building to be developed at the entrance to Manoel Island will be retreated by more than 20 metres when compared to the existing outline development permit.

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