Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542372
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 JANUARY 2026 LOOKING FORWARD 2026 14 PRIME Minister Robert Abela announced last year that White Rocks, Manoel Island, and Fort Campbell will be turned into na- tional parks. After decades of failed develop- ment plans, these sites are finally being protected from commer- cial interests. The government's vision for all three follows the same template—family-friend- ly recreational areas. The three sites have different histories, loca- tions, and current uses. How the government develops them will determine whether they actually address what Malta needs in 2026 and beyond. White Rocks: Who uses it now? White Rocks is a 45-hectare site in Pembroke and since the 1990s was the subject of multiple devel- opment proposals—tourism un- der Eddie Fenech Adami, a sports village under Lawrence Gonzi, and luxury real estate under Jo- seph Muscat. None of these plans ever materialised. People started using the aban- doned site anyway. Families pic- nic there. Skaters use the empty roads and concrete pathways. Street artists have painted large murals on the walls. The site be- came an informal public space without official planning. The government is now formalis- ing this as a national park with a focus on family amenities and seeking children's input. But there is a gap—spaces for teen- agers and young adults. Malta has seen increased problems in youth congregating in Valletta and Sliema, sometimes leading to fights. There are few public spac- es where young people can gather without spending money. Streets and commercial areas have be- come the default. White Rocks is large enough to accommodate different age groups. The site could include basketball courts, skate facilities, and open gathering spaces that are free to use. The site already attracts young users informally. Formal planning could recognise this or ignore it. Manoel Island: Restored buildings looking for purpose The government has signalled its intention to stop MIDI's con- tract to develop Manoel Island with luxury residences, some- thing that will likely happen in 2026. The objective is to turn the island off Gżira into a national park. Unlike the White Rocks idea, Manoel Island's re-christening as a national park had an organised public campaign behind it with over 29,000 signatures collected in a petition calling for the return of the land to public hands. Restoration work has already happened here. MIDI invested over €20 million restoring Fort Manoel and other heritage build- ings. The fort, built by the Knights of St John between 1723 and 1733, has had its pjazza and chap- el rebuilt. Fort Manoel has been on Malta's tentative UNESCO World Heritage list since 1998. It was severely damaged during World War II when it served as a Royal Navy submarine base. With development cancelled, these restored buildings need a purpose. The fort could be opened for tours and education- al programmes. The historical buildings could host cultural events. But heritage sites require ongoing maintenance and staff- ing. Without operational plans and funding, the buildings could sit empty despite being restored. Manoel Island has practical ad- vantages. It is connected to Gżira by bridge and is accessible from Sliema and Valletta by sea. The location makes it viable for regu- lar public use—picnics, walks and swimming—if properly managed. Fort Campbell: Ruins on a coast Fort Campbell is the least dis- cussed of the three sites. Locat- ed on the Selmun peninsula in Mellieħa, the fort was built by the British between 1937 and 1938 as Malta's last major fortification. The fort is now in ruins, vandal- ised and stripped of materials. But the location offers some- thing different—coastal access and natural landscape. The fort sits on a headland with views of St Paul's Islands. The wider area includes coastal salt pans, hiking trails, and small beaches. Malta's coastline is heavily developed and difficult to access but a nat- ural park at Fort Campbell could protect a section of pristine coast, while providing access to outdoor recreation in and around the fort. The government has framed Fort Campbell the same way as the other two sites, but the loca- tion suggests it is better suited as a coastal nature park, which could include walking trails, proper signage, parking facilities, basic amenities and designated picnic areas. What happens next Protection alone does not cre- ate functional public spaces. Each site has different characteristics. White Rocks is already used by various groups, including youth. Manoel Island has restored her- itage buildings that need opera- tional plans. Fort Campbell sits on an undeveloped coastline. The government's approach has been to frame all three as family-friendly parks but apply- ing the same model to all three could miss opportunities for di- versification. Malta lacks youth infrastructure, accessible heritage sites, and extensive, accessible protected coastal areas. These three sites could address those gaps if planned accordingly. The hard part starts in 2026 by defin- ing what the three sites should cater for and laying out concrete steps to realise those dreams. JULIANA ZAMMIT jzammit@mediatoday.com.mt Three parks, one vision? Malta's open space future An aerial shot of Manoel Island, which will be the largest open space within the Sliema- Gzira conurbation once it is turned into a national park (Photo: Moviment Graffitti) The abandoned buildings at the White Rocks complex in Pembroke have been decorated by murals (Photo: Juliana Zammit/MaltaToday) An aerial view showing the location of Fort Campbell in Selmun, Mellieha, overlooking St Paul's Islands to the right (Photo: GoogleMaps)