Two mayors unite to block Sliema seafront lido land reclamation

A planning application has been submitted to reclaim land on the Sliema seafront and build a lido facing Manoel Island, drawing swift opposition from both the Sliema and Gżira mayors after political party Momentum flagged the proposal publicly on Saturday. The application is jointly filed by three entities: Strand Lido Ltd, LAMHCO, and Sea Pebbles Ltd.

For the background to the application itself, read our earlier report on the planning bid for land reclamation on the Sliema seafront.

If approved, the development would include land reclamation, an outdoor swimming pool, a sun deck, two buildings for ancillary facilities, Class 4D restaurants, and a play area. Sliema mayor John Pillow said he would ask the local council to formally object. Writing on Facebook, Pillow argued the proposal would permanently alter one of Malta's most iconic and heavily used promenades, partially blocking open views towards Manoel Island, an area which, he noted, the government has committed to turning into a national park.

Pillow wrote that Sliema's coastline should not be continuously consumed by overdevelopment and commercial expansion at the expense of public space, open views, and the character of the locality. He said the seafront belongs to residents, families, walkers, swimmers, and future generations, and argued that decisions of this scale continue to chip away at the community's identity and breathing spaces.

Gżira mayor Neville Chetcuti said he would raise the matter at his council's next meeting and said the site was not the right place for the project. The business registry shows Strand Lido Ltd is owned by Carmel Farrugia, Daniel Farrugia, and Joseph Casha.

Sea Pebbles Ltd is owned by Joseph Casha and Josephine Casha. Daniel Farrugia is the partner of Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar and also owns the Londoners Pubs franchise. Joseph Casha is separately the owner of Medasia.

The third applicant, LAMHCO (Libyan Arab Maltese Holdings Company Limited), is a Malta-Libya government investment firm established in 1975 for major investments in manufacturing and hospitality, with a portfolio of companies worth in excess of €40 million. The application is not the first of its kind in the area. Land was previously reclaimed for another lido close to the same promenade, a development that proved controversial and is partly owned by mega developer Michael Stivala.