MaltaToday previous editions

7 NEWS maltatoday | TUESDAY • 22 MARCH 2022 JAMES DEBONO A land reclamation project to build a lido, two swimming pools and restaurants for the St Julian's waterpolo club "will di- minish the quality of the visual landscape" at Balluta Bay, with experts warning the impact will vary from "moderate to major adverse". The club is proposing the ex- tension of the existing water- polo facilities and commercial establishments on George Borg Oliver Street, which will in- clude two swimming pools and ancillary facilities. As part of the proposed works, land reclamation works will cover a footprint of 3,288sq.m in the heart of St Ju- lian's Bay. The project includes restaurants with a large deck as an outdoor dining area during favourable weather conditions. But the Environment Impact Assessment warns that works will not only protrude out in- to the bay but also block scenic views in the area. "Since large quantities of people frequent the viewpoints on a daily basis, the impact is significant as it will affect a large portion of the population." When viewed from Balluta square, the development will be "very conspicuous and no- ticeable", the EIA warns, and the protrusion of the concrete platform will "compartmental- ise" the view of Balluta Bay and block the long-distance views of St Julian's Bay. Consequently, the EIA clas- sified the impact as "major ad- verse". Originally the project was set to include a scheduled inter-harbour ferry service owned by the Fortina Group operating from the proposed jetty. However, following strong opposition for a similar service within the bay, the ferry service was removed from the current proposal. Land reclamation and other marine activities during con- struction will prevent other users of the bay from accessing the site and surrounding areas. A designated swimming zone will also be encroached upon. The assessment classifies the impact as "major adverse" on the surrounding sea uses. To overcome this, Transport Mal- ta would need to shift or resize the swimming zone to retain the same area. According to the study, the jetty will also attract addition- al vessels to the bay. The in- creased number of vessels in the bay "may disrupt the near- by swimming zones." Studies on marine ecology confirmed the presence of the protected Posidonia ocean- ica sea-grass habitat, which risk permanent loss due to the constructions works. The as- sessment concludes that the adverse impact will be of ma- jor significance due to the high conservation status of the af- fected habitats. In its 2017 election pro- gramme, the Labour Party had pledged "to enter into discus- sions with the San Giljan club to consider the possibility of constructing a pool". The club presently lacks a permanent pool structure, which can be used during adverse weather conditions, particularly when the sea is rough. The EIA was published yes- terday and the Environment and Resources Authority will be receiving feedback on the findings until the 19 April be- fore taking a decision on what to recommend when the plan- ning application comes up for consideration. JAMES DEBONO A land reclamation project to build a lido, two swimming pools and restaurants for the St Julian's waterpolo club "will dimin- ish the quality of the visual landscape" at Balluta Bay, with experts warning the impact will vary from "moderate to major adverse". The club is proposing the extension of the existing waterpolo facilities and commercial establishments on George Borg Oliver Street, which will include two swimming pools and ancillary fa- cilities. As part of the proposed works, land reclamation works will cover a footprint of 3,288sq.m in the heart of St Julian's Bay. The project includes restaurants with a large deck as an outdoor dining area during favourable weather condi- tions. But the Environment Impact Assess- ment warns that works will not only protrude out into the bay but also block scenic views in the area. "Since large quantities of people frequent the view- points on a daily basis, the impact is sig- nificant as it will affect a large portion of the population." When viewed from Balluta square, the development will be "very conspicuous and noticeable", the EIA warns, and the protrusion of the concrete platform will "compartmentalise" the view of Balluta Bay and block the long-distance views of St Julian's Bay. Consequently, the EIA classified the impact as "major adverse". Originally the project was set to in- clude a scheduled inter-harbour ferry service owned by the Fortina Group op- erating from the proposed jetty. How- ever, following strong opposition for a similar service within the bay, the ferry service was removed from the current proposal. Land reclamation and other marine activities during construction will pre- vent other users of the bay from access- ing the site and surrounding areas. A designated swimming zone will also be encroached upon. The assessment classifies the impact as "major adverse" on the surrounding sea uses. To over- come this, Transport Malta would need to shift or resize the swimming zone to retain the same area. According to the study, the jetty will also attract additional vessels to the bay. The increased number of vessels in the bay "may disrupt the nearby swimming zones." Studies on marine ecology confirmed the presence of the protected Posidonia oceanica sea-grass habitat, which risk permanent loss due to the construc- tions works. The assessment concludes that the adverse impact will be of major significance due to the high conserva- tion status of the affected habitats. In its 2017 election programme, the Labour Party had pledged "to enter in- to discussions with the San Giljan club to consider the possibility of construct- ing a pool". The club presently lacks a permanent pool structure, which can be used during adverse weather condi- tions, particularly when the sea is rough. The EIA was published yesterday and the Environment and Resources Au- thority will be receiving feedback on the findings until the 19 April before taking a decision on what to recommend when the planning application comes up for consideration. Lido and swimming pools on reclaimed land threaten Balluta Bay ADPD reiterates position against spring hunting, supports referendum When viewed from Balluta square, the development will be "very conspicuous and noticeable", the EIA warns, and the protrusion of the concrete platform will "compartmentalise" the view of Balluta Bay

• Cover