Marsascala mayor Mario Calleja has lambasted Transport Malta’s proposed plans for a gigantic yacht marina in the locality’s bay, but left the door open for a “reorganisation” of the bay as long as it keeps key points which the council and residents have spoken out about in mind.

Asked about the plans for the yacht marina and his position on them in an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Calleja admitted that everyone – himself included – was “shocked” when the plans which Transport Malta had proposed as an indication of the project in its Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) emerged in the media.

“Everyone was shocked, and I am certain that you really have to be brainless to be in favour of the project as it was proposed,” Calleja, who was elected on the Labour Party ticket, said.

He explained that he called an urgent local council meeting when the plans emerged, where within 45 minutes almost the whole council (one member abstained from the vote) had voted against the project as it was proposed.

Calleja’s and the council’s position was born out of several concerns, which the mayor delves into as the interview goes on.

The first and foremost point which Calleja mentions is that the swimmers’ zones in the bay should not be affected.

“The project was from here [the innermost part of the bay] almost all the way out to Jerma.  The biggest swimming zone is from the pier outwards, and people even come here from other areas to swim – they are part of this discussion too.  Those zones definitely should be left untouched,” Calleja says.

The second point is with regards to Marsascala’s feast, dedicated to St Anne.  While a smaller feast on balance than others, one of its highlights – “traditions”, even, as Calleja says – is the firing of fireworks from on the bay’s waters. 

Feast enthusiasts now fear however that an eventual marina would bring this to a halt, and Calleja says that this is something which the council is not ready to accept either.

Calleja says that the council is against any form of land reclamation as well, particularly as Transport Malta’s plans included the reclamation of some land in order for offices and other facilities to be built.

That reclamation would have taken up Marsascala’s iconic ‘Simenta’ – an area of cement near Marsascala’s church which between September and June is used by enthusiasts to lay up their boats for the off-season – something which Calleja said the council is not ready to accept either.

Likewise, the council would not be ready to accept the loss of the fairway which can be used by fishermen and others to lower their boats into the water, with Calleja pointing out that the fairway in Marsascala is recognised as being one of the best.

The main objection which is most jarring with the whole marina process though is that the council’s preference is that the concession for any marine development in the bay is not handed to the private sector, with Calleja stating that the fear here is that the rental prices for mooring would skyrocket if it were to be put in the hands of a private company.

As things stand, four companies and joint ventures – two Maltese and two foreign – have indicated their interest in bidding for the project. 

Asked whether he has met any of the bidders, Calleja replies; “I don’t even know who they are.”

However, Calleja is sure that people’s concerns on the project will be listened to, and that there will be changes to the final product (it’s worth remembering that the plans seen so far are those published by Transport Malta – not by any of the bidders – as an example within its PQQ).

Calleja said that he was not surprised at the protests against the protest, and that he could not blame anyone.  He said that he went directly to Prime Minister Robert Abela to ensure that the council and the residents it was represented were heard.

“He promised me personally that I shouldn’t worry, and that what the people want will not be trodden over.  That put my mind at rest a bit more… even more so when he pronounced himself publicly,” Calleja said.

Abela had touched upon the project in one of his Sunday political speeches some time ago, but was asked about it again this week after Health Minister Chris Fearne – who is an MP on Marsascala’s district – said he was not in favour of a project with the scale as proposed by Transport Malta.

"First, there will definitely not be a project that reflects the red plan annexed to the Pre-qualification questionnaire,” Abela said before adding that the current swimming areas will remain intact, that the areas used for fireworks and by the community would not be touched, and that those with buoys registered in the bay will have their rights respected.

Transport Minister Ian Borg, Calleja said, was similarly open to hearing out the residents’ concerns, with Calleja saying that he got the impression that Borg was ready to listen.

However, Calleja points out, a “reorganisation” of the bay is necessary.  For instance, he says, there must be wave-breaker – not necessarily a breakwater – which protects the bay from Malta’s legendary westerly winds (grigalati) which wreak havoc with infrastructure along the promenade and the coastline.

Asked to elaborate on what such a reorganisation would consist of, and whether it should consist, for instance, of a smaller-scale marina where yachts can still come in, Calleja said that he had never mentioned yachts.

He says that floating pontoons can be used in certain areas to reorganise the current situation where, he says, there are a lot of buoys in the bay which aren’t even registered.  What’s important, he says, is that those currently registered or who have applied to be registered be given priority.

“I’m not saying that we should allow yachts, but I’m saying that if the bay is set out a bit better than it currently is, more boats will come anyway,” he adds.

“I believe that both the Prime Minister and Ian Borg listened to us, and I’m certain that a solution will be found.  You can ask whether we prefer the project to be on a smaller scale, but I’m not talking about the project specifically.  I want that whatever is built, it does not inconvenience the people.  That’s the most important thing, and I want to highlight it: whatever is done, it cannot inconvenience people.  That’s why I came out against the project as proposed, but why I would not be against the reorganisation of the bay,” Calleja explains.

‘I would have been against AUM dormitories on Zonqor’ – Calleja

Marsascala was also in the news this week in connection with the American University of Malta, as the government announced that the university would be handing back its controversial Zonqor site.

The transfer a large tract of ODZ land to Sadeen Group, the developers behind the AUM, had led to protests in 2015. In May 2015, he Marsascala Council voted 5-4 in favour of the project, with the PN councillors and one PL councillor voting against.  Calleja, who was also mayor back then, was one of those who voted in favour.

However, the local council welcomed the news that AUM would be handing the land back.

Asked why the change of heart now, Calleja said that the question is a natural one, given his vote in favour of the project in 2015, but he defends his vote back then. 

“When we agreed and had that majority, I immediately started communicating with the people behind the project.  I didn’t know them, even though I was informed by the Office of the Prime Minister beforehand that that there was this sustainable project proposed for the land. I asked what it was, I saw the plans, I saw that it was holistic and I was sure that the project would help Marsascala’s economy,” Calleja explains.

He quantifies that remark: “the locality’s economy was destroyed when the Jerma Palace Hotel closed 17 years ago,” Calleja says.  The tourism traffic brought by the hotel which helped the local industry, largely catering and entertainment, effectively stopped once Jerma was closed down, he adds.

Calleja says that besides the development itself, he was also looking at what could be done in terms of embellishment work in other parts of the locality through the then Urban Investment Fund gained through the Planning Authority.

He says he had he had spoken to the developers about this, but only after the council had voted on the project – not before, as had been alleged by a PL and PN councillor.  “I was summoned to a disciplinary board over it, but they realised I was genuine.  I only worked on the usual planning gain programmes,” he says.

As time went on, opposition to the project increased, which led to then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat deciding that the project should be split between Marsascala and Cospicua, where AUM’s campus currently is.

“I didn’t wave any flags, but I said straight away that now we aren’t ready for this.  If there was an application for dormitories – I would have gone against it,” he says.

However, no such applications ever transpired, with the government this week announcing that the university would be handing the land back in return for space at Smart City.

The local council welcomed the news, and also asked to give the title of the former National Swimming Pool in Zonqor back to the Marscascala Aquatic Club, something which Calleja emphasised upon during the interview.

‘I didn’t even know what I was going to speak about’: Mayor was not informed about controversial design contest

Marsascala was also the subject of controversy owing to a ‘design contest’ launched by the Malta Tourism Authority, with activists and residents fearing that the contest was going to be used as an excuse to redevelop areas of the locality to favour certain businessmen.

Calleja, who was in the spotlight over a council sub-committee chaired by a PL general election candidate tasked with coming up with design ideas for the locality, said that the council were informed about the committee and that just because it may come up with certain ideas, it doesn’t mean that the council will agree with them.

With regards to the design contest, Calleja says that he knew nothing about it.

“To tell you the truth, they phoned me up the day before and told me to arrange the promenade a bit for a press conference.  I didn’t know what for.  It’s a good thing that I spoke after all of them, because I didn’t even know what I was meant to speak about,” he says.

Having heard the contest of the launch press conference though, Calleja questioned why one wouldn’t welcome the investment. 

He adds that the PN’s minority leader and another PL councillor have been tasked with liaising with the MTA with regards to the design contest, which is still ongoing, and not him in order to make sure that he has nothing to do with the matter owing to the previous conflict of interest allegations.