Concrete slabs with sharp rusty mesh dumped in the sea in Little Armier

Pictures and videos surfaced on social media showing large concrete slabs with rusty, pointed steel mesh dumped into shallow waters next to the Baia Beach lido in Little Armier.

Visitors to the area, which is already inundated with illegalities including rows of illegal rooms being used as boathouses, told The Shift that the slabs were thrown into the shallow waters a few weeks ago.

The dangerous slabs – thought to be sections of old roofs that were recently replaced – have rendered parts of the public beach inaccessible.

Although there is no evidence that the slabs were dumped into the sea by contractors refurbishing the adjacent lido, reports made to the Planning Authority and the Environment and Resources Authority have so far been ignored.

It is understood that the PA is now investigating to determine responsibility for the environmental crime.

According to independent politician Arnold Cassola, who posted the images online, there have already been incidents in which swimmers sustained slight injuries from the dangerous construction debris.

The area has been at the centre of controversy in recent years. The promoted transformation of the Baia Beach lido into a Buddha Bar by entrepreneur Dominic Micallef Junior failed to materialise.

The lido – public property awarded through an obscure Lands Authority concession- is currently in the name of pharmaceutical importer Jonathan Mangion.

The Shift is informed that Mangion was not the original concessionaire, and it is unclear how the public property ended up in his possession.

Questions The Shift has sent Mangion have never been answered.

According to law, a concessionaire of public property cannot sublet or transfer the concession without the Lands Authority’s written consent.

But Micallef’s Signature Entertainment Group in 2021 announced it was turning Baia Beach Lido into a top entertainment establishment.

None of this has materialised and refurbishment works were abandoned around two years ago and the area has been left in a dangerous state.

The work undertaken on the site was also illegal, and the Planning Authority had slapped the site with a stop and enforcement order.

Mangion and his architect Wayne Scerri applied last year to sanction the illegalities, and the application is awaiting a PA decision.