Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545608
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 JUNE 2026 The right to enjoy the foreshore for free needs to be protected Editorial MALTA is already overcrowded as it is, which makes finding a spot by the sea to soak up the sun and go swimming for free somewhat of an ordeal. What we surely don't need is making an already precarious situation worse by selling off the coast to private entrepreneurs or allowing individuals to illegally usurp public land. The government must stop granting private concessions on public coastal land. The Lands Authority should refuse outright granting any concession to the proponents of a lido along the Gżira promenade. Having a second lido along that stretch of coastline will simply rob ordinary citi- zens from the right to enjoy a leisurely stroll with- out the rude intrusion of a building that would ruin the beauty of seeing open sea and Valletta across the harbour. The government has a duty towards its citizens to administer public property in a judicious way. A second lido on the Gżira promenade has no meaningful contribution to the economy; it will just inflate the pockets of the proponents, while impoverishing the quality of life for the rest of us. There have been way too many concessions over the years that robbed stretches of coastline and granted them to private interests. In some in- stances, these concessions grant token access to the foreshore. Some occupy the whole foreshore. There is little to do about concessions that were granted in the past but the Lands Authority would do well to revisit the agreements and determine whether contractual obligations have been ful- filled. Where deficiencies result, the authority must enforce the obligations, impose penalties and if required initiate proceedings to terminate concessions. No concessionaire should be exempt from this scrutiny. Whether it's a lido belonging to a five- star hotel or an umbrella and deckchair opera- tor on a sandy beach, these contracts should be reviewed to ensure compliance with contractual obligations. It's the least we expect in a country where access to the foreshore has become a lux- ury. But there are other instances where individuals illegally occupy public land for personal or com- mercial gain. In these instances, we expect the government to step in and protect the common good by enforcing the law. Unfortunately, what we witnessed on Comino last week was a pathetic scene involving Malta Tourism Authority officials in Visit Malta uni- forms telling off a bather who wanted to lay down his towel on the rocks where an empty deckchair and umbrella were placed by a private operator. Instead of enforcing the law and ordering the operator to remove the apparel, the two offi- cials defended the operator's actions and told off the bather. The officials were in the wrong since Comino's foreshore is no one's private play- ground. The Malta Tourism Authority chief excused the officials' behaviour, claiming they were new to the job and more training will be provided. The MTA should have thought of that before deploying its people. But the unfortunate incident is symptomatic of how public access to the foreshore is viewed. The MTA officials were prompt to defend the private operator's actions. It was as if they automatically believed the operator was in the right. Rather than seek clarification as to the status of the claimed concession, they simply tagged along and told off the bather instead. You don't need training to de- mand that the private operator show some form of written agreement granting them occupation rights; what you need is common sense. The problem is one of attitude not training. MTA officials should be enforcing regulations and ensuring that private operators adhere to contractual obligations rather than protecting them. It is a question of enforcement. But enforcement appears to be low on govern- ment's priority list unless this involves black im- migrants—in the latter case, we are regaled with photos showing police and detention officials cuffing people and loading them onto buses for eventual deportation. If only the same zeal is shown in other areas of concern for ordinary citi- zens, Malta will be in a better place. And this is where our front-page story today about the farcical system in place to reserve a car- avan parking permit becomes important. It only took the journalist €1 and not more than 10 min- utes to obtain a discounted permit—she posed as a pensioner despite applying through her e-ID— for a fictitious caravan she does not even own. It is farcical that we have a system that allows any- one to obtain a permit to occupy a piece of pub- lic foreshore with no proper checks. It is obvious that the system gives the semblance of order but is designed to encourage abuse. The authorities need to get their act in order and clamp down on caravan owners who are usurping public land for weeks and months on end to the detriment of or- dinary citizens. The enjoyment of the foreshore for free, without being hassled, is a right that needs to be protected. MaltaToday 10 years ago Towers will make Malta uglier, 68% say 26 June 2016 A MaltaToday survey conducted over the past week shows that more than two-thirds of the Maltese think that high-rise towers in general make the country uglier, irrespective of where these are located. The survey also shows that three-quarters of respondents would not like Malta to re- semble Dubai with regard to its physical ap- pearance. The greatest concern about high buildings is their impact on views and land- scapes, followed by the perception that these are claustrophobic or alien to the Maltese identity. While in their majority the Maltese dislike high-rise buildings, the survey shows that 56% see some positive advantages in high- rise development when asked to state one. The advantage most mentioned is that such buildings are perceived to occupy a smaller footprint of land than horizontal develop- ments and thus help reduce pressure on un- spoilt land. When presented with a list of localities where, according to present planning poli- cies, high-rise development can be allowed, 44% insisted that such development is unac- ceptable anywhere. 79% agree with a moratorium on high-rise projects until a master plan for such develop- ments is formulated. The survey also shows that environmental NGOs enjoy the trust of 52% of the Maltese. On the other hand, the two major parties en- joy the same level of trust on environmental issues, just 36%. [...]