Four months after the expiry of a deadline the government had self-imposed for a final agreement to be reached with the developers of a sports and leisure village at the former White Rocks complex in Baħar ic-Cagħaq, the project seems to have hit a stumbling block that has thrown doubts on its implementation.

Announced with much pomp last June as a €200 million foreign direct investment project that was to change the face of Maltese sport, along with the creation of some 800 jobs, the plan to transform the area into a sports village has apparently been put on the back burner by the government.

Development of the former White Rocks holiday complex, an area between Pembroke and Magħtab that has been neglected for years, had been announced on two previous occasions – in the 1990s and 2000s, but the plans had fallen through both times. And unless the idea to pursue the project as announced last year gathers momentum in the coming weeks, there is a risk of a third failure.

The silence surrounding the project from the government side is deafening. Last Friday, during the press conference on the third year of government, neither Education Minister Dolores Cristina nor, more importantly, parliamentary secretary for sport Clyde Puli – who last June had described the project as “Malta’s first sports college” – spared attention on the subject.

Having been announced during this third year of government – and having been one of the most important announcements that was made last year – journalists expected at least a mention during the press conference. But there was none.

And questions sent by this newspaper in a bid to obtain more information were replied to with a terse statement by the ministry saying that at this stage it is better to remain tight-lipped on the project.

They were more or less the same words that were printed in a document the parliamentary secretariat handed to the media during the above-mentioned press conference. In the four paragraphs dedicated to the project, other than what people already know, there wasn’t much in terms of fresh news.

What is said on page 60 of the 64-page publication is that the government entered into negotiations with foreign investors who would like to develop the land into a sports village where 40 sports disciplines would be practiced. It is said that, apart from the value of the land, no taxpayers’ money will be involved in the building of the complex.

It is also said that a technical evaluation is being carried out by a team of professionals and that, at present, it is not prudent to reveal more details. Once the deal with the investors is concluded, the finalised project would be presented to Parliament “for discussion and scrutiny”, the report said.

There was nothing new in what was printed, no deadlines were given and there was no indication as to when work will start. When it was announced last June, it was said that the project would take five years to complete. But there is still no idea when the work will start.

Once a deal has been reached with the developers – the White Rocks Holding Company, which will be designing, constructing and operating the village – the project will have to go through Parliament for approval, following which there will be the Mepa hurdle to overcome. This means that it could be several more months before workers move on to the site.

The Malta Independent on Sunday tried to obtain more information by sending the following questions to the parliamentary secretary for sport:

When the project was announced last June, and in subsequent comments made by the government, including the PM, it was said that the project would be finalised by the end of 2010. We are now in April 2011. No conclusion of the deal has been announced. Can you give me an indication as to when the deal with the investors will be reached?

Can you please explain what has held the agreement back by at least four months? Is there some technical/legal/political hitch that is holding things back? Can you please explain what this hitch is (if there is one)?

Is the project as presented last June is being reviewed/changed? Could it be that this delay in the conclusion of negotiations means that the government is considering shelving the project?

The answer received was that “negotiations regarding the White Rocks Sports and Leisure Village have not been concluded. This is a delicate stage and as such needs to be treated with prudence. Details about the outcome shall be given to Parliament and the media in due course.”

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