[WATCH] MTA opposed to Danish Village Għadira concession, Tourism Minister says

The Malta Tourism Authority has objected to a proposal by the Danish Village in Mellieħa for demountable platforms for sunbeds to be placed at Għadira Bay.

Last July, a permit was granted for the Danish Village to expand its footprint along the coastline. The proposal was a scaled down version of a similar one put forward 19 years ago, which would have seen most of the rocky area between the first and second beaches covered by sunbeds.

The case officer’s report noted that the proposal lay outside the identified tourism development area, where the public use of the beach should be safeguarded

With a final decision expected on the 23 August, Mizzi was asked whether he believed that more of the bay should be taken up by private interests. He said that while the proposal was still under discussion, he had been informed that the MTA had made its objections to the proposal know. Mizzi did not specify whether he agreed with proposal or not. 

The minister was speaking following a press conference announcing an agreement with operators renting out sunbeds on the beach.

Mizzi said that 2,200 sq.m of space on the beach would once again be being made available to the public. He said that following discussions with the operators and the MTA, a concession allowing operators had been scaled down.  

“We must find a balance, and now those that want to rent a deckchair can do so, while people who don’t want to rent, can also refrain from doing so,” Mizzi said.

He said the new rules would come into force this week, and will see each operator giving up roughly 340sq.m of space allocated to them.

Mizzi again accused Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi of agreeing to grant operators a concession days before the 2013 elections. He described the concession as shameful and one that allowed operators to place as many umbrellas and sunbeds as they wanted for a period of 15 years.

“Through this new agreement, the area long the sea will once again be available for the public to enjoy,” Mizzi concluded. The minister thanked the MTA as well as the beach operators for being respectful during their discussions.

The minister said it was now up to the MTA to ensure that the beach is regularly inspected in order to ensure that operators abide by the conditions of the agreement signed with the government.