Ripping Ta` Cenc apart

Abstract

When the spectre of development at Ta’ Ċenċ was first raised, there was uproar, and various NGOs joined efforts to rightly condemn and oppose the proposals, which were subsequently watered down. But what is currently going on at the idyllic Il-Kantra ta’ Mġarr ix-Xini, which lies within the confines of Ta’ Ċenċ, has sadly not resulted in the same reaction. PA 5216/04 was submitted in 2004 and proposed the upgrading of existing beach facilities, such as snack bar, kitchen and toilets, and the construction of a natural rock pool and overflow stream. Predictably, this was opposed by the then Environment Protection Department (EPD) of the Planning Authority, which strongly objected to the swimming pool as this would encroach on garigue habitat.