Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1487671
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 7 DECEMBER 2022 NEWS NEWS JAMES DEBONO THE government wants to "de- classify" the Sliema Chalet site, now earmarked for privatisa- tion in a recently issued call for bidders, from the Public Do- main Act, which stipulates that the first 15 metres of foreshore should be public and not be commercialised. The government also wants to exempt AX Holdings' Suncrest hotel lido and Sunny Coast li- dos, which are already devel- oped, from the same act. This means that rules protecting public access to the foreshore will no longer apply to the Cha- let and Qawra sites. The Public Domain Act ena- bles the government to declas- sify parts of the public domain through an act of parliament, but only with the support from the majority of MPs. In this case, before going to parliament the government is asking the Planning Authority to prepare a report on the de- classification from the Public Domain of three sites which are still considered as public property. But before such a re- port is commenced the govern- ment is also asking the public to make its submissions in a public consultation which ex- pires on 5 January. The main purpose of this re- quest is "to proceed with pro- jects which will serve both pri- vate and public interests". Part of the Chalet along the prome- nade is still earmarked for pub- lic right of use in the proposed declassification but the rest of the 44m-long Chalet platform, including the first 15m from the shoreline, will no longer form part of the public domain. In October a request for pro- posals was issued by Malta Strategic Partnership Projects Ltd, a government entity, seek- ing interested bidders to re- develop the concrete platform presently jutting into the sea along the Ghar id-Dud prom- enade, into a "superior quality catering and entertainment es- tablishment." The site will be offered on a 65-year concession to the pri- vate sector and bidders will have to invest a minimum ini- tial capital of €3.2 million and subsequent partial investments of €1.4 million every seven years during the concession term. According to the govern- ment's privatisation unit, pro- posals have to fall within the parameters of the Chalet De- velopment Brief approved un- der a PN administration, 20 years ago, which offers a wide range of uses for development in the area. The development brief ap- proved in 2002 following a public consultation carried out 23 years ago, limits the height of the new building to 3.3 me- tres from the level of the prom- enade and to 30% of the foot- print of the existing footprint at promenade level. The brief is very generic when it comes to the nature of facil- ities which can be allowed on the site, but specifies that the proposed facilities should be "primarily entertainment and recreational in character". The examples mentioned in the brief include indoor and outdoor cafes, restaurant, bar, a dance- floor area, a health and fitness centre, a sauna/health club and other "water related uses". Earlier this year the Planning Authority had approved the re- development of AX Holidings' lidos in Qawra over 13,000sq.m of land where the Seashells and Suncrest hotel lidos are locat- ed in Qawra. The project fore- sees an underground car park, new restaurants, public spaces, shopping malls and more ex- tensive pool facilities. Government wants to exempt Chalet and Suncrest lido from Public Domain Public Domain Act secures public access for the first 15m of the foreshore All that is left of the Sliema Chalet is a concrete platform jutting out to the sea. Government wants to revive the area as an entertainment spot MARIANNA CALLEJA THE Nationalist Party will continue with its class action lawsuit against government on over- charged utility bills after Labour Party MPs voted against a motion filed by the party on electricity and water bills. During a press conference on Tuesday, the par- ty's energy spokesperson Mark Anthony Sam- mut said that the PN's motion was government's last chance to do justice for people who were overcharged on their electricity and water bills. He said that government had admitted that peo- ple were being charged, yet still refused to explain why they voted against the private member's mo- tion. Members of the Nationalist Party filed a private member's motion on Monday to amend a legal notice concerning the overbilling of water and electricity. Earlier this year, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli announced a new utility billing system to correct an anomaly that saw some consumers paying at the higher bands despite a yearly allocation of cheap units. The legal changes were announced in October, but the notice specified that the rules will apply retrospectively to 1 January 2022. The Nationalist Party filed this motion arguing that the rules should be backdated to 2014, which is when the original billing system was introduced. Those interested in being part of the class action lawsuit can register their interest on kontijiet.com or can present their information at Dar Ċentrali by Friday 9 December. PN: No option but to continue with class action lawsuit over utility bills The PN's class action seeks justice for people who were overcharged on their electricity and water bill