Alternattiva Demokratika yesterday met up with representatives of the Marsascala Business Community Association (MBCA) to discuss their recent proposals about the regeneration of the Marsascala harbour and its surroundings.

The MBCA said they are mainly concerned that business in Marsascala is falling behind drastically, and that the 25,000 tourists they normally hosted per year is decreasing further and further since the closure of the Jerma Palace Hotel, whose over-flow used to provide tourists for the other smaller hotels. Shops are also complaining that there has been a Lm75 decrease in sales per day, which is bringing about a reduction of employees as well.

AD chairman Harry Vassallo said “the planning process needs to be democratised, which means that not only the authorities should decide. The people need to decide what they want to develop or not – and this is our policy not just for Marsascala but the whole of Malta. In such a way bad decisions like placing the Recycling Plant in a valley and close to residents would be avoided.

“The difficulty is that people have lost faith in the planning process, and democratised planning should become a reality both for the Malta Environmental Planning Authority as well as all the authorities,” he added.

The MBCA believe that a professional Yacht Marina instead of just a fishing port would lead to embellishment the whole area however the main problems would remain the issues pedestrianisation and parking.

However AD’s spokesperson for the South Saviour Sammut stated that “a yacht marina will undermine the quality of life of those who chose this area as a bathing or fishing spot. Marsascala, being Malta’s second fishing port, cannot and should not be turned into a yacht marina.” Instead he proposed it should be a live exhibition of different types of fishing boats, boat trips and water sport activities.

“AD shares and supports the Association’s concern about Marsascala’s bad traffic management plan, the high pollution due to lack of green areas and lack of pedestrian areas,” he added.

AD said they are also against the issuing of more permits “which are turning Marsascala into an overbuilt conglomeration of a jungle of vacant opportunities.”