Over 1,200 objections filed against Sliema lido planning application

Over 1,200 citizens objected to a planning application to reclaim almost 2,500sqm of seabed to build a massive lido on Sliema’s coastline, with the large majority of objections revolving around congestion, the uptake of public land and sea, and the further commercialisation of Malta’s coastline.

The proposed development, which envisages the development of an outdoor swimming pool, a sun deck, restaurants, and a play area alongside two buildings to accommodate the pool’s ancillary facilities, is being fronted by a network of well-connected businessmen and a government-backed investment entity.

As previously reported by The Shift, three separate hotel owners operating on Gżira’s waterfront are involved.

Equality Minister Rosianne Cutajar’s partner, Daniel Farrugia, and his family, which own the Londoner Hotel; the Verdi Hotel, which is owned through a Libyan-Maltese company named LAMHCO Ltd and managed by Corinthia Hotels; and the Pebbles Resort group, which is owned by MedAsia’s owners, the Casha family.

LAMHCO is a joint venture between the Maltese and Libyan governments. The company has long been politically connected and remains partly controlled by the Maltese State through government-appointed directors.

The Casha family, which owns the Pebbles Resort, is known to be closely affiliated with high-ranking members of the Labour Party. Its MedAsia club was used by the Labour Party during the last general elections as a venue for a party for its youth branch, with sources telling The Shift that the event was held free of charge.

The large volume of objections turned from a trickle into a flood after environmental NGOs spearheaded a widely popular push against the project.

Broadly, objectors argue that the area is “already extremely congested” and that such development in this context would be “unsustainable”, that the project itself directly conflicts with the North Harbour Local Plan designating the site as public space, and that the area is formally protected against development due to its high landscape value.

“This area of the shore is currently enjoyed by pedestrians, swimmers, fishers, families, and many others as an open space in an extremely built-up city. Such a development would compromise this landscape value and the value provided to the public,” according to the objection template used by most citizens.

Objectors also appear to have adopted an argument recently advanced by eNGO Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, which argued that the site falls within the proposed UNESCO Buffer Zone of the Valletta World Heritage Site.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) brought the case to the attention of the National World Heritage Technical Committee.

The project’s land reclamation element also risks damaging Posidonia Oeanica meadows on the seabed, which are considered an essential species for oxygenating marine life and protected under the EU Habitats Directive.

A case officer is yet to issue a recommendation for approval or refusal.

Yet multiple authorities have already either imposed preliminary conditions or issued their no-objection letters.

The Environment and Resources Authority has requested a full Environmental Impact Assessment for the project, which means the applicants will have to detail the materials to be used for land reclamation, the potential impacts on the surrounding waters, and conduct a benthic survey (an environmental and scientific assessment of the seabed, riverbed, or lake floor) to map the seabed.

Transport Malta asked the Planning Authority to advise whether a Traffic Impact Assessment was required.

The Malta Tourism Authority requested more detailed plans for the bar area layout.

The Environmental Health Directorate issued a no-objection letter conditional on the applicant ensuring that the project adheres to all basic health and safety regulations, as well as several other project-specific conditions. Primarily, the Directorate insisted that all drainage systems must be properly connected to the main sewers, that no effluent can be discharged at sea, and that no materials, waste, or debris arising from the construction and operation phase end up in the water.