Waterpolo pitch along Marsaskala promenade confirmed by appeals tribunal

The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal on Tuesday confirmed a controversial decision by the Planning Authority to approve a waterpolo pitch, a clubhouse, a hall and a restaurant on 2,300 sq.m of reclaimed seabed along the Marsaskala promenade.

The development, proposed by the government on behalf of the Maraskala Sports Club, was triggered by the allocation of the former national pool in Żonqor for the development of the American University of Malta campus. The Żonqor site was transferred to the Jordanian developers along with Dock number One in Bormla through a parliamentary resolution approved in 2015.

The project was approved opposite a residential area on the basis of two policies, one zoning the area as an entertainment priority area and one, which considers the development of a yacht marina in the area while specifying that any development should not have any “adverse” impact on nearby residents.

The decision was appealed by 12 residents and by Moviment Graffitti. The appellants questioned why other sites including the Żonqor pool itself and the Sant Antnin recycling plant, which according to government plans is to be relocated to Magħtab, were not considered especially because the pool will be filled with freshwater.

They also questioned the lack of consideration to the project’s impact on biodiversity, traffic and residents.

In its decision the Tribunal confirmed that the site selection was limited to the coastline and that the only other site, which was considered, was located on the Żonqor side of the coastline, which was excluded due to its ecological value.

This was justified because waterpolo clubs in Malta are built on the coastline. Neither could the government consider the present Żonqor site as this was already allocated to the American University of Malta. The Tribunal also insisted that the designation of the area as one where a yacht marina could be considered did not exclude other developments like this one.

During the board meeting held in July 2020 board member Gilmour Camilleri had raised doubts on the viability of the AUM project on the basis of the low intake of students and called for a postponement of the waterpolo pitch decision until a final decision is taken on whether to proceed with the Żonqor campus. But his appeal was rejected by the majority of board members who voted for the project.