Government wants to exempt Chalet and Suncrest lido from Public Domain

The government wants to “declassify” the Sliema Chalet site, now earmarked for privatisation in a recently issued call for bidders, from the Public Domain Act, which stipulates that the first 15 metres of foreshore should be public and not be commercialised.

The government also wants to exempt AX Holdings’ Suncrest hotel lido and Sunny Coast lidos, which are already developed, from the same act. This means that rules protecting public access to the foreshore will no longer apply to the Chalet and Qawra sites.

The Public Domain Act enables the government to declassify parts of the public domain through an act of parliament, but only with the support from the majority of MPs.

In this case, before going to parliament the government is asking the Planning Authority to prepare a report on the declassification from the Public Domain of three sites which are still considered as public property. But before such a report is commenced the government is also asking the public to make its submissions in a public consultation which expires on 5 January.

The main purpose of this request is “to proceed with projects which will serve both private and public interests”. Part of the Chalet along the promenade is still earmarked for public right of use in the proposed declassification but the rest of the 44m-long Chalet platform, including the first 15m from the shoreline, will no longer form part of the public domain.

In October a request for proposals was issued by Malta Strategic Partnership Projects Ltd, a government entity, seeking interested bidders to redevelop the concrete platform presently jutting into the sea along the Ghar id-Dud promenade, into a “superior quality catering and entertainment establishment.”

The site will be offered on a 65-year concession to the private sector and bidders will have to invest a minimum initial capital of €3.2 million and subsequent partial investments of €1.4 million every seven years during the concession term.

According to the government’s privatisation unit, proposals have to fall within the parameters of the Chalet Development Brief approved under a PN administration, 20 years ago, which offers a wide range of uses for development in the area.

The development brief approved in 2002 following a public consultation carried out 23 years ago, limits the height of the new building to 3.3 metres from the level of the promenade and to 30% of the footprint of the existing footprint at promenade level.

The brief is very generic when it comes to the nature of facilities which can be allowed on the site, but specifies that the proposed facilities should be “primarily entertainment and recreational in character”.

The examples mentioned in the brief include indoor and outdoor cafes, restaurant, bar, a dance-floor area, a health and fitness centre, a sauna/health club and other “water related uses”.

Earlier this year the Planning Authority had approved the redevelopment of AX Holidings’ lidos in Qawra over 13,000sq.m of land where the Seashells and Suncrest hotel lidos are located in Qawra. The project foresees an underground car park, new restaurants, public spaces, shopping malls and more extensive pool facilities.