Hotelier Silvio Debono’s application to excavate an underground tunnel (which would also be for public use), and demolish an existing kiosk to make way for the construction of a beach lido linked to the San Antonio Hotel in Qawra was approved by the Planning Authority today.
The development would see the introduction of a lift lobby and two lifts at the edge of the San Antonio pool deck area. The lifts will lead to the tunnel underneath Triq it-Trunciera, which per se leads to the proposed beach lido.
The tunnel beneath Triq it-Trunciera will lead the general public and the hotel guests to either the public beach or the indoor lido bar. The public beach is also accessible from the lido. A small kitchen, a bar, a dry store and tables and chairs are being proposed to serve the lido customers. The existing sanitary facilities will be replaced by new ones, accessible from the public beach. The tunnel would also serve the public through an entrance on Triq Dolmen. The Lido will replace the existing kiosk. It will not, however, affect a third party kiosk nearby.
Representatives of the hotel, presenting their application to the Planning Authority Board, said that they wanted to do something to address the issue of guests going to the beach having to cross the busy road. Management, the representatives said, wanted to create a connection between the hotel and the beach.
“The San Antonio Hotel currently holds a concession on part of the beach, and there is an existing agreement with the MTA that the latter shall manage and maintain the existing beach amenities including the kiosk and bathrooms.” The amenities, the representative said, provide services to both hotel guests and the general public.
The proposed development will not protrude onto the beach area, as the proposal will be situated onto the existing concreted area. The foreshore will grow by roughly 4m as a result, the representative said, given that the lido will be further inland than the current kiosk.
A number of meetings were held with the St Paul’s Bay local council, and a project proposal was given by the project architect, the representative stated.
“Subsequently the proposal was revised and plans updated. The local council had proposed that the tunnel also be used by the public to access the bay to the pool, and thus access be shared to be used by the public in general, as a form of sub way. This, a San Antonio representative said, was taken on board. He indicated that an entry point on Triq Dolmen was added to the plans.
“316 sqm of total concession will be for public access,” the representative said, highlighting the use of the bathrooms, tunnel etc. “and thus the project has a large element of public use.”
Turning to traffic during development, the representative said the main road would never close, but suggested that wardens be present to handle traffic during development.
One resident objected to the proposal, and said that the project would encroach on public land. He asked what guarantee the public will have that the tunnel would remain accessible., and that the toilet would remain accessible. “We know when it comes to such things there is usually zero enforcement.”
He said residents fear that public beaches become private, “finding 200 deckchairs and one cannot swim. What guarantees are there that this won’t happen? “
The hotel’s representative said they would have no objection if there are conditions placed within the permit. “The use is determined by the permit, and the permit will read that it will be open to the public.”
“Aside from permission, there is also the MTA agreement, which states the bay must remain accessible, and we won’t object to this being extended”.
The local council expressed concern regarding the increase of the built-up area on the beach, from 74 to 113 square metres, which would also narrow the passageway.
Chairman Vince Cassar said that on the promenade extension that will result from the roof of the lido being attached to it, the permit should include that tables and chairs would definitely not be allowed on the promenade.