Għar Lapsi’s iconic coastline scarred with PA’s complicity

The rugged beauty of Għar Lapsi, one of Malta’s last remaining coastal enclaves with unspoiled views of the islet of Filfla, is being transformed by a construction project that environmental regulators had sought to block, but which the Planning Authority (PA) approved despite internal and external objections.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) had described the proposed development as a “major environmental concern” when it was first filed in 2022, warning that excavation and intensification of building in the area could cause “irreversible damage” to a sensitive Natura 2000 site.

Nevertheless, a PA commission chaired by Martin Camilleri voted to grant the permit, overruling the recommendation of the Authority’s own planning directorate.

An on-site visit by The Shift confirmed that the structure’s upper floors obstruct what was once one of the island’s most photographed sea views.

Locals and frequent visitors describe the change as devastating. “It’s heartbreaking to see what’s been done here,” said a Siggiewi resident who has visited the cove for decades. “The authorities were warned, and yet this was allowed.”

Records show that the site’s owner, Joseph Baldacchino, was initially granted a permit in 2010 to rebuild a small ground-floor home consistent with the low-rise profile of surrounding houses. When the works were not carried out, the permit was renewed in 2018.

But in 2022, as the government continued to relax its planning policies in favour of more development, architects JG Periti submitted a new application proposing to demolish the house, excavate into the underlying rock, and construct a basement, two additional floors and a pool.

Both the ERA and the PA’s own technical staff recommended refusal, citing the risk of environmental degradation and visual intrusion in an area designated as Outside Development Zone (ODZ).

The ERA’s submission warned that “ad hoc approval of such developments” could trigger further pressures on the site, including “demands for ancillary infrastructure” and “piecemeal urbanisation”.

Despite those warnings, the commission led by Camilleri, along with members Frank Ivan Caruana Catania and architect Joel Fenech, only instructed the applicant to make minor adjustments before approving the project.

Construction is now well underway, with the new building visibly reshaping the landscape of Għar Lapsi.