Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/634260
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 31 JANUARY 2016 4 News JAMES DEBONO A private beach with car park is the latest in a series of planning appli- cations aiming to exploit the lucra- tive potential of the recently recon- structed Coast Road. There are now in total at MEPA two kiosk applications, and requests for a petrol station and a private beach, in the absence of any tender for the public land around the new roundabout in the Ghoqot area of the Coast Road, facing the sea at Bahar ic-Caghaq. The beach facility and car park total over 12,450 square metres of land and are being proposed by Joseph Zammit. The proposal in- cludes a gazebo kiosk. The proposed developments in this lucrative area lying outside the development zone are all located on public land. No public tender has been issued for the development of kiosks and other developments in the area. Ac- cording to standard procedure, the Lands Department does not object to anyone filing a planning appli- cation involving public land, but a tender has to be issued. The catch is that only applications first granted a full permit are then eligible to par- ticipate in any public tender. The latest proposal includes plans for a huge car park for 346 cars – as a comparison, the Gozo Channel ferries each carry about 150 vehi- cles when using their car decks – over two levels on both sides of the roundabout, that lies on disturbed land facing the sea. Beach facili- ties include two, five-metre-high gazebos on top of the parking area. No development is being proposed on the rocky shore, although path- ways to the sea are indicated in the plans. MTA objects to kiosks Before the latest application for beach facilities was presented, the Malta Tourism Authority had ob- jected to two kiosks proposed for the area. The MTA noted that it has "a blanket policy against the placing of new kiosks unless these are part of a wider project that ben- efits the community". Environmental NGO Din l-Art Helwa described the design of the proposed two kiosks – modelled on historical towers that line the Coast Road – as "a mockery of the original historical fabric" rep- resented by real towers on that stretch of road. The two applications for an ice- cream parlour and a takeaway, both located on the strategically- placed land parcel, were presented by Elaine and Clint Galea, a couple from Fgura. The two kiosks are proposed to be 3.7 metres high and each occupies a site area of around 20 square metres. The Bilom Group, one of Mal- ta's fastest growing construction groups, is then earmarking another tract of public land on the coast road, which is registered in the name of the ministry for transport, for the construction of a 3,000 square-metre petrol station. The ODZ land where the huge petrol station is being proposed is described in the planning applica- tion as "disused land". Plans sub- mitted to MEPA foresee the devel- opment of a car wash, a retail shop, an office and a store. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt COURT NOTICE The Registrar, Civil Courts and Tribunals notifies that the First Hall of the Civil Court ordered the sale by Judicial Auction of the following property to be held in the corridors of the Courts of Justice, Republic Street, Valletta. Date and Time Judicial Sale No Property 2 nd February 2016 68/15 – 11.00am Rita Falzon 243159 M vs Joseph Falzon 687355M AZ The garage number nineteen (19) forming part of a block known as St. Michael's Court, Block A and Block B, in Birkirkara Road, St Julian's underlying third parties property, subject to the annual and perpetual ground rent of twenty five euro and six cents (!25.06) valued at twenty-four thousand euro (! 24,000). 25 th February 2016 113/12 – 10.30am Gaetano Bonnici 706457M vs Jason Vella 57079M EGL Maisonette with no official number named 'Dar il-Palma' situated at elevated ground floor in Triq Vin"enzo Ciappara, Mellie#a corner with Triq il- Lu#, Mellie#a, free and unencumbered, with all its rights and appurtenances valued at one hundred and five thousand Euro (!105,000). Garage with no number and name, accessible from Triq Triq Vin"enzo Ciappara, Mellie#a, underlying the maisonette with no official number named 'Dar il-Palma' subject to annual and perpetual ground rent of six Euro and ninety nine cents (!6.99) subject to the active and passive servitues resulting from its position valued at fifty eight Euro (!58,000). Further details can be obtained from the website: http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/courtservices/JudicialSales/search.aspx The bidders taking part in the auction must present their identity card. Rudolph Marmara' For the Registrar of Civil Courts and Tribunals The strategic requests for concessions along the Coast Road are harbingers of new development on Transport Malta's 'most beautiful road'. Why is this EU-funded highway attracting speculative interest? Petrol pump, two kiosks, and now… a private beach Photos taken from the new Coast Road as it bends away from what was the old road This clearing leaves ample room for a car park The old road: the amount of space created makes it ideal for a private beach concession Road to riches? Only speculative projects with a MEPA permit can bid on a future tender for public land by the Lands Department. So the applications are for two kiosks, a fuel station with retail shop and car wash, and a private beach with car park and gazebo kiosk