No action against illegal Armier boathouses, Gonzi aides promise
James Debono
The government has promised not to sanction any boathouse owners in Armier in return for the list of people who own illegal boathouses in the picturesque bay, a meeting in Castille has determined.
MaltaToday has learnt that Armier Developments Ltd, the lobby for the boathouse owners, met high-ranking members from the prime minister’s secretariat on 4 March in Castille.
The government promised not to take action against the people who illegally erected the boathouses in Armier.
According to Tarcisio Barbara, president of Armier Developments, the meeting was held to ensure the data requested by the government will not be used to “victimise” boathouse owners “through the imposition of fines, legal proceedings or the demolition of their rooms.”
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister confirmed with MaltaToday the information will not be used to prosecute the squatters.
“Armier Developments Limited were asked to provide their data about the boathouses built at Armier prior to 1992, which data is to be handled according to the provisions of the data protection law,” a spokesperson for the Prime Minister told MaltaToday.
Leonard Callus, deputy head of Gonzi’s secretariat, and private secretary Charles Bonello, met the Armier lobby just days before an 11 March meeting with the Opposition leader Joseph Muscat.
Muscat has also pledged to honour a 2002 agreement signed with the lobby, and renewed in 2007, on the reconstruction of the Armier village as long as no speculation or destruction of irrigated agricultural land took place.
In another sign of cooperation between the government and the Armier squatters, over the past weeks Armier Developments numbered each boathouse in the illegal village, and its architects took measurements of each room.
Gonzi has already signed a written declaration promising not to demolish boathouses built before 1992, in an unpublicised meeting in Castille just three weeks before the crucial 2008 general election.
On that occasion, government promised that “within six months of being re-elected the government will consult with MEPA on the relevant permits” for the approval of a new development that will replace the existing shantytown with an even larger but more organised village.
The government had already committed itself in another agreement, signed eight days before the 2003 election, to hand over 230 tumuli of public land in Armier to Armier Developments on 65-year lease against an annual Lm157,000 (€350,000) payment.
Writing in ‘Mil-Bajja’, Armier Developments’ newsletter, Barbara claims the government asked for his organisation’s cooperation in order “to start implementing what had been promised in the past.”
Barbara writes that during the meeting he was told that ‘the government has no intention to tolerate the mess’ (“Babilonja”) which presently exists in Armier.
But the government also reiterated its past promise to develop new beach rooms on the site to accommodate both present users, and prospective buyers.
With the list of pre-1992 owners, the government could stop speculation on its public land amid reports that a number of boathouses are being sold to new owners – who now feel reassured by the government’s promise to regularise the shantytown.
In August 2008, MaltaToday revealed that a number of boathouses were openly on sale, fetching prices of €35,000 for the transfer of keys of a boathouse, fully serviced with water and electricity.
In fact the government is making it very clear it will only deal with owners whose name appears on the list provided by Armier Developments.
But despite the latest developments, it is up to MEPA to decide whether to regularise the boathouses.
An application to rebuild the shantytown dating back to 2002 is still pending on MEPA’s desks. MEPA has refrained from issuing the necessary permit because it has not yet approved the Marfa Action Plan, which would set the guidelines for any development in the area.
MEPA has repeatedly said it will not issue any permit until the Action Plan is approved.
2001 Government proposes the replacement of the existing 1,200 boathouses with 1,600 new beach rooms rented for Lm250 a year, covering an area of 231,000 square metres – the equivalent of 28 full-size football fields. A draft Marfa Action plan published by MEPA identified four zones to be used for the development of beach rooms but the plan is never approved.
2002 Labour signs agreement with Armier squatters recognising their claims to the land.
2003 Government signs agreement with squatters to hand over 230 tumuli of public land in Armier to Armier Developments Ltd for a 65-year lease against an annual Lm157,000 (€350,000) payment.
2007 (October) Labour leader Alfred Sant renews 2002 pledge.
2008 (February) Prime Minister secretly signs new agreement with squatters renewing 2003 pledge and promising to intervene with MEPA on pending applications within six months.
2008 (March) MaltaToday reveals secret pre-electoral deal between Prime Minister and Armier squatters.
2009 PM’s secretariat meets Armier Developments in Castille promising not to use any information given by the company against the illegal squatters.
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