Friday 8 August 2008

Ramblers on shoreline structure policy

Ramblers happy that derelict cliff top hotel is to be removed
Friday, August 08, 2008

The Ramblers Association has expressed satisfaction at the fact that the derelict hotel lying on the cliff side at Ghajn Tuffieha is to be removed and land is to be restored to its original state. The association said this is the way forward with such abandoned structures built on public land. It said Structure Plan policy CZM 3 supports this move: “Public access around the coastline immediately adjacent to the sea or at the top of cliffs (including in bays, harbours, and creeks) will be secured. This will include taking shorelands into public ownership, government acquisition of illegal developments and encroachments, and suitable construction works.”

The association said it believed the same thing should have been done with old structure at Golden Bay (Bajja tal-Mixquqa), instead of permitting an even-larger hotel that has completely closed off public access to the cliff-edge, in direct conflict with this policy.

RAM cannot, however share the government’s view on the Armier squatters’ case when it says that it is difficult to speak of illegality by the squatters when it was the state that provided them with services. This sounds very much like Two wrongs do indeed make a right, the association said. RAM still insists that Government has only one honourable way forward: these illegal structures should all be torn down and the land restored to the public, its rightful owner.



1 comment:

Team DoIT said...

Could you please post a photograph or more, showing this area and the hotel you speak off.