Even Lawrence Gonzi will have nothing to show the electorate except a bold vision of the Grand Harbour by the next election, a blueprint for the regeneration of the Harbour’s derelict areas, a promenade running through the Three Cities, the pensioning off of the power station, and bringing to life the depressed inner harbour towns.
What makes this vision somewhat more tangible than a pre-electoral stunt is that the government is now taking three firm commitments, namely the closing of the Marsa Power Station, the relocation of the Tank Cleaning Facility in a ditch next to Fort Ricasoli, and the release of land presently occupied by the Dockyard for more profitable projects. Only if the government keeps its word on these promises will it be able to inject a much needed dose of investment in some of Malta’s most derelict and unsightly zones.
But instead of discussing the merits and demerits of the various proposals in the plan, the two big parties have engaged themselves in a battle over the paternity of the Grand Harbour plan.
Ironically, the announcement that the new power station will be closing down in 2015 was made by Enemalta chairman Alexander J. Tranter at a consultation meeting with the Labour Party about the party’s ‘rival’ regional development plan for the Grand Harbour. In the same meeting Tranter revealed that a considerable tract of land will be released for development upon the decommissioning of the power station.
Caught off guard by Sant’s midsummer onslaught, the PN countered by publishing a vision based on a MIMCOL report dating from July – an indication that the government was working on its own plan before Sant stole the limelight.
Still, Sant can still claim that as Prime Minister he was the first to outline a vision for the Grand Harbour before losing a parliamentary vote on the Cottonera waterfront, when he proposed a connections project linking the Three Cities and Valletta by maritime links. Clearly both parties will claim paternity for the Grand Harbour vision even if they have nothing to show the electorate apart from lofty plans.
The PN’s new document ultimately reveals an overriding concern: that of scoring points in the south of Malta. Although the PN cannot win extra seats from the south, it just cannot afford to lose any more votes. As things stand the PN risks losing the second seat gained in the Cottonera district in 1998 in the wake of the epochal clash between Dom Mintoff and Alfred Sant.
Winning hearts and minds in the south has been a paramount concern for the PN for the past two years. The new vision cannot be seen in isolation from the Smart City project first announced on the eve of the 2006 local elections and the MCAST educational complex announced in May. With Labour reviving its fortunes in the south and facing competition from Josie Muscat – a self proclaimed “man of the south” – the PN needs to block the haemorrhage in the very districts contested by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi (the second district) and Investments Minister Austin Gatt (the first district) – the two men behind the vision.

Old hat or new tricks?
Seen in isolation from each other the components of the government’s latest vision are not as innovative as they seem. Two of the projects announced in the Prime Minister’s Grand Harbour vision were first proposed during Sant’s two-year interlude in government. Back in 1997 the Planning Authority had issued a development brief for Ricasoli proposing a “heritage theme park” in the derelict fort. Ten years down the line the fort is now identified as a centre for the audiovisual industry which shall be linked to Smart City.
But this project will only be made possible by the relocation of the dockyard’s Tank Cleaning Facilities, an eyesore sited on the ditch of the same fort, to an as yet unidentified location.
Sant can also claim paternity over the dubious idea of a yacht marina in Kalkara. In 1997 a Deloitte and Touche report commissioned by the Labour government had proposed a yacht marina in Kalkara Creek. Ten years later, Lawrence Gonzi is also proposing the same thing. But the present government admits that ultimately this proposal depends on whether it is financially viable. The costs of constructing a new breakwater could prove prohibitive.
Even the promise to close down the Marsa Power Station goes back a very long time. In 1988 the Nationalist government justified the building of a new power station in Delimara on the grounds that it would replace the one in Marsa. Yet, with electricity demand rising sharply, the issue was left pending until Malta’s EU obligations made the closing of the Marsa power station mandatory.
The possible use of different zones of the Grand Harbour area are also identified in the Grand Harbour Local Plan, which has been around in draft form since 2002.

Decline of the docks
The scaling down and the restructuring of the Dockyard is the third major pillar on which Gonzi’s Grand Harbour vision stands. The decline of the industrial heartland around which Cottonera once thrived could prove an opportunity for diversification. Malta Shipyards Limited will be restricting land requirements from 350,000 square metres to 288,000 square metres.
Apart from this, following a site inspection MIMCOL also identified a 250-metre quay situated at Boiler Wharf and a mooring dolphin aligned 75m away from end of quay, as the site of a new cruise terminal. As the Dockyard shifts its industrial activities to Corradino, Dock No. 2 will be transformed in to a centre for superyachts.
Apart from the three main commitments, the other proposals involve a rationalisation in the use of space in the harbour area. These include the afforestation of the Rinella Valley, turning the Marsa area into a public recreational area, a promenade linking Kalkara, Birgu and Bormla, and the long overdue restoration of the derelict parts of the old naval hospital in Bighi.
The MIMCOL document even goes as far as proposing that government use the restored Bighi for use “by an international organisation”, touting as an example a ‘council for the Mediterranean’ – the still inexistent institution currently promoted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The re-examination of tenements in the harbour area was another fruitful exercise. The MIMCOL report states that the property leased to Bezzina shipyards needs to be investigated further, “especially the two structures appearing under the same tenement No T 61064 which lease has expired in 1987”. If Bezzina Shipyards were to be relocated from current location at Coal Wharf in Marsa to a more adequate location, the relinquished area could enable other industrial establishments to have valuable access to the waterfront.

The human dimension
Surprisingly the Marsa open centre for illegal immigrants is barely given a mention in the report. The MIMCOL report simply states that in MEPA’s Grand Harbour Local Plan the open centre falls within an area where “retention of existing or more environmentally friendly use” is recommended.
Overall the government vision lacks a human face. Probably some of the fruits of development will trickle down to the inhabitants. An overall improvement in the environment will also improve the quality of life of those living in a deprived area.
But the high levels of illiteracy and low educational standards in localities along the Grand Harbour localities registered in the latest census also show the need for a plan for the social regeneration of the area. Labour could outdo the Nationalists by taking better care of this aspect in their regeneration plan.
Patients at Boffa will be the only ones to lose out as they will no longer enjoy the majestic views of the Harbour. Still the financial and tourist benefits of selling this prime site for a hotel development are quite overwhelming. An internationally advertised tender for such a prime site could reap millions.