The Malta Developers Associated has objected to a planning application filed by Marsaxlokk Football Club, saying that the proposal gives the club an unfair advantage over private developers. 

The application is for the football club to expand its premises with the construction of a hostel as well as an old people’s home, along with seating stands for its existing football pitch. 

The proposed development also includes a sports hostel as well as a home for the elderly and other facilities including a sports childcare centre, a social club, sport-related shops and outlets that can serve food and drinks as well as a physiotherapy clinic. 

The MDA found the proposal objectionable on two fronts. 

The first is that, while it said it agrees that sports clubs should be supported by the government, “the proposal would see a football club owning state subsidised facilities unfairly competing with private developers.” 

“The land in question is public land and a large part of the proposed use is essentially commercial in nature. Therefore, the proposal gives the applicants an advantage over commercial developments with similar uses, thus continuing to create an unlevel playing field that puts private developments for such uses at an unfair disadvantage,” the MDA said. 

The second is that the project is situated on undeveloped land which is in an Outside Development Zone (ODZ) and that “such areas should never be used for development of commercial or residential facilities that can be accommodated within development zones.” 

The MDA therefore expressed its insistence that the application should not be approved and appealed to the Marsaxlokk Football Club to withdraw it.