St Paul’s Bay Council raises alarm over proposed lido

The St Paul’s Bay Local Council is objecting to an application to develop a lido, on a paved site overlooking the rocky foreshore near the Qawra Water Park.

To support its objection, the council presented a report by architect Mariello Spiteri, which concluded that the development would result in the “intensification of use” in an area that is relatively inaccessible and does not directly adjoin a public road.

The development is being proposed by Stephen Bonnici’s Islet Fantasy Funpark, which, in its application, stated that while it does not own the site, it has secured the owner’s consent. The proposed lido will feature a restaurant, pool, and adjacent sunbed area.

Furthermore, the applicant also stated that the land in question is not government-owned. Bonnici is also the owner of Popeye Village.

Aerial photos taken by the Planning Authority show that the area was part of the rocky foreshore prior to 2004, with the concrete platform having been constructed sometime before 2008.

In 2004, a previous applicant, Gaetano Tanti, was issued a permit to develop a children’s park in the area, which was allowed to operate only between May and September. According to the council, the site was used for this purpose until 2018.

A subsequent permit issued by an appeals tribunal in 2009 allowed for the establishment of a bar and a first aid room within a building that already housed public toilets. The bar was only permitted to operate between May and September.

The building in question still houses public toilets, managed and operated by the St Paul’s Bay Local Council, alongside a Tourist Information Office.

The council’s main concern is that approving the proposed lido would mark a shift away from the “very low-key” development approved in 2009, which primarily catered to children already in the area, complementing the adjacent Bugibba Water Park. The new proposal, however, would introduce year-round commercial activity, attracting additional traffic to an area that is not easily accessible from a public road.

The council is also concerned that this will increase on-street parking demand, without providing any on-site parking.

The NGOs Moviment Graffitti and Din l-Art Helwa have also objected to the application, claiming that it would further commercialise the use of the foreshore.