New railings at Marsascala's new quay not first step towards marina, mayor says

The recent installation of new railings at the new quay at the end of St. George's Street in Marsascala has sparked major concern among some residents, who raised the alarm through a Facebook post earlier this week.

But the mayor is giving assurances that it is not the first step to having a marina, a subject that raised so much controversy in past years and which pushed the Government to declare that no such project will take place.

Yet the installation of the railings led to questions among the residents, who speculated on social media that this development might signal the first step towards the construction of a marina.

Contacted by The Malta Independent, mayor Mario Calleja said that there is no intention for the bay to be converted into a marina.

The railings, he said, were installed to accommodate residents.

Calleja explained that these railings, designed to assist passengers embarking and disembarking from boats, were installed following an agreement between the Marsaskala Local Council, Infrastructure Malta and the 'Għaqda Baħħara u Sajjieda'.

He noted that these railings replaced previous rings used for mooring boats, although boats cannot be moored to the new railings.

The mayor emphasized that these new railings are 'definitely not' the first step towards a marina and cited a previous declaration by Prime Minister Robert Abela, affirming that the Marina Project was cancelled.

In February 2022, Abela had announced the cancellation of the Marsascala yacht marina plan following extensive discussions with the then-Infrastructure Minister, Ian Borg, and Marsascala residents.

In Parliament last November, Abela reiterated the commitment to the bay's future, stating that local plans for the area would be updated to exclude any provision for a marina.