Buy back Comino “ċens” concession and make its protection a national project

Momentum is calling on the Government to take the opportunity to buy back the emphyteutical deed covering the Comino Hotel and bungalow area and permanently safeguard Comino from large-scale development.

The concession dates back to 1960, when Malta was still under British colonial rule. The deed was granted for 150 years and is due to run until 2110. With around 84 years still remaining, nobody alive today is likely to see the end of this colonial-era agreement.

Momentum believes the government should now seriously explore buying back the remaining rights under the deed, particularly since the proposed redevelopment has not yet taken place.

The annual ground rent attached to the concession is only around €11,768. The cost of renting two or three bungalows for a week! As a starting point for assessing the cost of buying back the deed, the Government should examine the value of the remaining ground-rent payments over the approximately 84 years left on the concession. In simple nominal terms, this amounts to less than €1 million. The final amount would, of course, have to be established through a fair and independent valuation and negotiations with the concession holder.

Mark Camilleri Gambin, General Secretary of Momentum, said, “The fact that the concession has such a long period remaining should not be seen as a reason to leave the issue for future generations. On the contrary, it is precisely why the government should act now. Momentum believes that the current public and political consensus around protecting Comino creates a unique opportunity.

Members of Parliament on both sides of Parliament have expressed their desire to see Comino protected. Rather than continuing to argue about how much development the island can accommodate, the government should use this broad political support to deliver something genuinely national: the permanent protection of Comino.

Camilleri Gambin added, “This could become another national project in which the Government, the Opposition, environmental organisations, local communities, and the public work together to ensure that Comino remains one of Malta’s most important natural assets. The government has repeatedly spoken about the need to protect Malta’s remaining natural spaces. It should now put those words into practice.”

Momentum is particularly concerned about the cumulative impact of the proposed development. Comino is a tiny island with extremely limited infrastructure and resources. A major development would inevitably raise questions about:

• Pressure from increased tourism and visitor numbers;
• Additional boats and increased marine traffic around the island;
• Beach buggies and other vehicles moving around the island;
• The island’s extremely limited freshwater resources;
• Wastewater and drainage capacity; discharge of this into sea;
• Increased electricity and infrastructure requirements;
• Light pollution;
• Additional waste generation and disposal;
• Pressure on the Blue Lagoon and other sensitive areas; and
• The creation of a permanent, year-round population and associated activity on an island whose carrying capacity is already under enormous pressure.

The issue is therefore much bigger than whether a new hotel looks attractive or not. The question is whether Comino can physically and environmentally sustain another major tourism development.

Camilleri Gambin argued, “The existing buildings need not necessarily simply be left abandoned. Following an environmental assessment, the government could consider removing the structures and restoring the site to nature. Alternatively, parts of the existing buildings could potentially be converted into an environmental research facility or wildlife rehabilitation center, provided that such uses are compatible with the island’s ecological sensitivities.”

Instead of leaving future generations to deal with the consequences of another major tourism development, Malta has an opportunity today to make a different choice. Momentum is therefore calling on the government to:

1. Commission an independent valuation of the remaining Comino concession;
2. Establish the cost of securing the voluntary surrender or buy-back of the deed;
3. Examine the value of the concession without assigning speculative value to future large-scale development;
4. Open negotiations with the concession holder for the return of the concession to the Maltese Government;
5. Commit to protecting Comino from large-scale commercial development once the concession is returned; and
6. Develop a long-term ecological restoration and management plan for the island.

There is hope, you can help!

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