Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1405706
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 AUGUST 2021 NEWS Outrage in Marsaskala JAMES DEBONO A Deloitte report in 1997 had warned that a yacht marina in Marsaskala bay "may spoil the character of the bay", ranking the site eleventh among 18 sites considered; only six were short-listed by a report that concluded a marina in this site would be "unlikely". Marsaskala was one of nine sites completely ruled out for a marina on the basis of the yacht development study pub- lished by the Planning Author- ity 1997 during the Sant-led Labour administration. The nine sites were excluded because the cost of develop- ment would be unacceptable both for economic reasons and "because the environmental or social costs would be too great". The other sites ex- cluded included Salina, Mell- ieħa, Ċirkewwa, Mistra, White Rocks and St George's Bay in St Julian's. The Deloitte report does re- fer to a number of advantages for a marina in Marsaskala, namely its shallow waters and the proximity to bars and res- taurants. But it also refers to several disadvantages includ- ing "little room for shore-side facilities", the need for dredg- ing and land reclamation, and warns that "water circulation may be a problem" and that the development "may spoil the character of the bay." The report concludes that Marsaskala "is a pleasant site with a good atmosphere" but one "with limited potential" for the development of a marina. But the idea of a yacht mari- na in the Marsaskala bay area resurfaced in the local plan ap- proved in 2006, although the development was subject to ap- propriate studies including an underwater archaeological sur- vey. Other conditions included a financial feasibility study for the marina, and an environ- mental impact assessment by the developer. Moreover the development was linked to res- KURT SANSONE JEAN Claude Micallef and Mario Galea are the only two MPs from the Third District with a clear position against the proposed yacht marina in Mar- saskala. Micallef, a Labour MP, and Galea, a Nationalist MP, have publicly denounced the plans by Transport Malta for a massive yacht marina project in Marsas- kala creek. They reiterated their opposi- tion to the marina plans in re- plies to questions that MaltaTo- day put to the five MPs elected from the Marsaskala district in the last general election. This newspaper asked the MPs whether they personally agreed with the yacht marina proposal and whether TM should stop the process as requested by the local council, residents and lo- cal clubs. In a vote taken a fortnight ago, the council called on TM to im- mediately withdraw its plans and abandon the idea of build- ing a yacht marina in the sea- side village. Micallef supported the stand adopted by the Marsaskala council against the project. "A clear motion put forward by councillor Ryan Portelli re- flects my views on the matter and as long as I remain in pol- itics I will continue to fight for what I believe in for the benefit of the people who elected me," Micallef said. Galea was equally strong in his opposition to the marina plans, Only two district MPs with clear stand against Marsaskala marina 1997 report warned marina will 'spoil Marsaskala's character' Study gave low ranking to a marina in Marsaskala compared to other locations due to negative social and environmental impacts Anger in Marsaskala: hundreds came out to protest a government plan to introduce a yacht marina in the picturesque Marsaskala bay. The transport minister, Ian Borg, claims the marina is 'requested' by the local plans last mandated in 2006, under a Nationalist administration