Preluna Hotel eyeing Ghar id-Dud beach

The Preluna Hotel has applied for a permit to extend its existing beach club, over 310 square metres of public land under the Fortizza at Ghar id-Dud, in Sliema.

The application envisions a “beach concession”, covering the existing rocky beach with limestone and replacing an existing concrete area with limestone.

The area borders on the existing beach club, which includes a sun deck and a private pool and is presently enclosed by a wall.

In the application submitted to MEPA on 8 April, the applicant declared that the government has granted consent to the proposal, which effectively means taking over land that is already public property.

The Sliema local council is already objecting to another development of leisure facilities across 800 square metres of pristine rocky shoreline in Qui-Si-Sana just below the Qui-Si-Sana public garden.

The development is earmarked for “leisure development” consisting of lavatories, showers, an attendant’s area and rows of sun beds, which are set to cover the rocky shoreline. The application was presented by hotelier Michael Stivala on 15 March 2013 and was published in newspapers on 21 September.

The application for this beach concession also states that the government has granted its consent for the application.

But a spokesperson for government insisted that in such cases the applicant is only expected to inform the government property division and confirm that the site is in government ownership, as the actual consent is only issued after MEPA issues the permit.