After having been granted permission by the Planning Authority to operate a tourist catamaran in Balluta Bay, Captain Morgan (owned by Fortina) has now applied to occupy nearly the whole seashore on the left of the bay, effectively denying the public’s enjoyment of the sea from this part.

Disguised as a “minor amendments procedure” to their approved application, Fortina is seeking permission from the PA to cordon off nearly the whole sea-level platform in Balluta Bay by setting up a continuous railing. Fortina would thus have exclusive use of this platform for its catamaran operations, with the public being denied accessibility to one of the last strips along the bay and, consequently, to the sea adjacent to it. The organisations remind the authorities that the foreshore is historically public domain and that, therefore, it cannot be taken over by private speculative projects.

The company wants to take up more public land and sea by stealth, in yet another case of piecemeal approach to development. The minor amendments procedure that Fortina is trying to use for its development allows the applicant to avoid the normal planning process and hence deprive the public of its right to object. Since Fortina’s proposal extends beyond the site covered in their original application, it is clearly not eligible to be processed under this procedure.

The PA’s approval of Fortina’s catamaran in Balluta Bay was a shameful decision that is currently being appealed by several organisations and the St. Julian’s Local Council. The Zammit Tabonas are taking advantage of these difficult times, with many people locked inside their homes and struggling to cope with the pandemic, to continue expanding their occupation of public land and sea for their own private profits. The greed of the few rages unabated.

Local Council

• St. Julian’s Local Council

Organisations

• Din l-Art Ħelwa
• Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
• Friends of the Earth Malta
• Moviment Graffitti
• Nature Trust Malta
• Ramblers Association Malta
• Rota
• The Archaeology Society Malta

Wara li ngħatat permess mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA) biex tkun tista’ topera katamaran għat-turisti fil-Bajja tal-Balluta, il-Captain Morgan (li hija tal-Fortina) issa applikat biex tokkupa kważi x-xatt kollu fuq ix-xellug tal-bajja, fejn effettivament tkun qed iċċaħħad lill-pubbliku milli jgawdi l-baħar minn din il-parti tal-bajja.

Moħbija taħt “emendi ta’ proċeduri żgħar” għall-applikazzjoni li ġa kisbet il-permess għaliha, il-Fortina issa qed titlob il-permess tal-PA biex il-pjattaforma kollha ta’ madwar il-bajja li qiegħda livell mal-baħar tkun imdawra kważi kollha bil-ħadid. B’hekk il-Fortina jkollha użu esklussiv ta’ din il-pjattaforma, filwaqt li l-pubbliku jkun imċaħħad mill-aċċess għal waħda mill-ftit strixxi li baqa’ matul il-bajja, u konsegwentement, għall-baħar biswitha. L-organizzazzjonijiet jixtiequ jfakkru lill-awtoritajiet li xatt il-baħar huwa dominju pubbliku u li, għalhekk, ma jistax jittieħed għal proġetti spekulattivi ta’ kumpaniji privati.

Il-kumpanija trid tieħu iktar art pubblika u baħar bl-ingann, f’każ ieħor ta’ żvilupp sħiħ imma li jsir biċċa biċċa. L-emendi ta’ proċeduri żgħar li l-Fortina qiegħda tipprova tuża għall-iżvilupp tagħha jippermetti lill-applikant jevita l-proċess normali tal-ippjanar u b’hekk iċaħħad lill-pubbliku mid-dritt li joġġezzjona. Peress li l-proposta tal-Fortina tmur lil hinn mis-sit involut fl-applikazzjoni oriġinali, huwa ċar li ma tistax tipproċedi billi tuża din il-proċedura.

L-approvazzjoni tal-PA biex il-Fortina topera katamaran fil-Bajja tal-Balluta kienet deċiżjoni tal-mistħija li bħalissa qiegħda tiġi appellata minn numru ta’ organizzazzjonijiet flimkien mal-Kunsill Lokali ta’ San Ġiljan. Il-familja Zammit Tabona qed tieħu vantaġġ minn dawn iż-żminijiet diffiċli, b’ħafna nies maqfulin ġewwa darhom jissieltu biex ikampaw waqt pandemija, biex tkompli tespandi l-kontroll tagħha fuq art pubblika u fuq il-baħar għall-gwadann tagħha personali. Il-regħba tal-ftit tkompli bla heda.

Kunsill Lokali

• St. Julian’s Local Council

Għaqdiet

• Din l-Art Ħelwa
• Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
• Friends of the Earth Malta
• Moviment Graffitti
• Nature Trust Malta
• Ramblers Association Malta
• Rota
• The Archaeology Society Malta