Plans for 136-metre Blue Lagoon pier abandoned

Infrastructure Malta has withdrawn an application proposing the construction of a 136-metre pier at the Blue Lagoon.

Plans submitted in 2020 envisaged the extension of the existing pier along the foreshore, as well as the removal of existing concrete walkways. The extended wooden-decked pier was to rest on piles embedded in the seabed.

Similar plans had been proposed and later abandoned by the Gozo Ministry in 2018.

The pier was proposed as a means of enhancing passenger safety by providing a smooth, level surface for accessing the ferries, while also removing the existing concrete walkways and restoring the shoreline to its natural state.

A project description statement presented in 2020 referred to the difficulties faced by passengers disembarking from large ferries, described the current situation as a health and safety hazard, especially for those with mobility impairments.

However, the pier was also expected to impact negatively on the environment.

Furthermore, the statement noted that the pier would have enabled the mooring of larger ferries, along with an increase in visitor numbers, which could disrupt the protected or sensitive Natura 2000 habitats and species.

After reviewing the photomontages presented by Transport Malta, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage described the project as unacceptable from a cultural heritage perspective.

The heritage watchdog expressed “grave concern at the inevitable formalisation of the area, which will reduce this iconic location of picturesque natural beauty to a poolside lido.”