A public car park has been blocked off with concrete barriers and an electric gate, while vehicle access along a key coastal stretch linking Senglea and Cospicua has been restricted exclusively to authorised vehicles.
Following news that the American University of Malta (AUM) is claiming ownership of a stretch of sea in front of its Cospicua campus, ordering boat owners to remove their vessels by 28th February, WhosWho.mt can confirm that the university’s actions now extend well beyond the shoreline.
AUM has taken over a public car park located just off the Senglea seafront, a few metres from the Cugó Gran Macina Hotel, and has restricted vehicular access to the seaside route leading to the pedestrian bridge connecting Senglea to Cospicua.
Last week, AUM made headlines after notices were posted near its campus stating that boats berthed within what it described as a “private water space” must be removed by no later than 28th February.
Photos taken by WhosWho.mt show that the car park, which accommodates around 30 vehicles, has been blocked off using concrete barriers and a motorised gate. The parking area appears to have been formally regulated, with white lines marking individual bays. In the past, particularly at weekends, it was also manned –formally or informally – by a car park attendant. The area had also long been used by boat owners for storage and minor maintenance works.
In addition, a long stretch of coastal land in front of the old docks, previously commonly used for parking, has also been closed off. Clear signage now indicates that access is restricted exclusively to AUM-authorised vehicles.
Cars, including taxis, were previously allowed to access the area in order to drop off passengers close to the bridge, and boat owners regularly drove into the area to load and unload equipment and supplies to and from their vessels.
This restricted zone stretches from the former Macina docks - now the Cugó Gran Macina Hotel - all the way to the pedestrian bridge linking Isla and Bormla. Parking has long been scarce in the area, and the sudden loss of both the car park and this coastal stretch has significantly worsened the situation, creating serious difficulties for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Residents who spoke to WhosWho.mt said that over the past couple of weeks, AUM has deployed personnel to assert control over the area.
“What AUM is doing has completely changed the fabric of the area. Previously, we could drive all the way up to the pedestrian bridge - now the entire area is restricted. You can walk through it, but you cannot drive,” one resident said. “They have also taken over a public car park that residents and visitors relied on daily. It was even used for community purposes, such as small boat maintenance. Locals also used to congregate there for a casual chat. It is also clearly affecting the hotel nearby.”
Residents expressed disbelief at the sudden change.
“We cannot understand how, after almost ten years of AUM operating here, this is suddenly happening. Residents and businesses are extremely concerned. During weekends, both the car park and the coastal stretch leading to the bridge used to be full of cars, with people visiting the area and its many restaurants. Now, there is nowhere to park.”
They added: “We cannot understand how AUM is taking over the sea, a public car park, and an entire stretch of land that forms an integral link within Cottonera, connecting Senglea to Cospicua. This was part of a public regeneration project for Cottonera, and now it has effectively been taken over by AUM. This is shameful. What are the authorities doing about it? Why have they gone silent? How can what was effectively a public square and car park be taken away from residents and visitors?”
WhosWho.mt cannot determine whether it is coincidental or otherwise that the authorities are now seeking to address parking pressures in the area through a separate Project Green initiative involving the creation go an open space and a three-storey underground car park behind the AUM campus, which is also currently used as a car park.
Project Green issued an €11 million tender for the project last October, with works expected to commence in the first quarter of this year. Until then, residents and visitors remain frustrated, with limited parking options in an already congested part of Cottonera.
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