PUBLIC access to the sea will continue despite new projects coming up along a key shore in Bahrain.
The assurance was made by Capital Trustees Board chairman Saleh Tarradah during yesterday’s regular meeting as members raised questions about developments being planned closed to the sea in Al Hamriyah, Sitra.
The issue was raised for debate following a proposal by the Urban Planning and Development Authority to give “special project” licences to coastal plots in the area.
This would see partial reclamation on some plots close to the sea.
“There is a limit to reclamation that developers can’t go beyond with the government introducing a borderline between the sea and land,” said Mr Tarradah.
“The borderline has not changed and there is no intention to replace seawater with cement,” he added.
“Public access to the sea is not up for question as a corridor between developments and the water should always be maintained.
“It is the right of citizens and residents to be able enjoy the sea without any difficulty, and they should not be denied or blocked access to the water.”
Mr Tarradah said even special projects are not exempt from regular building rules.
“Special project licensing has its own set of rules and specifications that are different from the regular, but that doesn’t mean developers can flout building regulations and do whatever they want,” he said.
“So the sea is protected even if it is partially reclaimed.
“Each case is comprehensively studied by all the concerned government bodies and authorities and if a breach is spotted, such as in Al Hamriyah, the project wouldn’t be allowed to proceed.”
He said that the maps don’t lie as they clearly indicate reclamation on the borderline, but in actual sense there will always be space.
“We are seeking answers on the nature of the new projects near the shore, and what exactly is the next step with new projects on the borderline,” said Mr Tarradah.
“Be it Al Hamriyah or any other area, we need a representative from the authority to tell us what is coming next and what is the gap between land and sea, and how public access would be.”
Meanwhile, the board’s services and public utilities committee vice-chairman Mohammed Al Abbas had reservations that the proposed project was exactly on the borderline.
“No one is against development or progress, but public access needs to be secured,” he said.
“Despite approving the proposed move in Al Hamriyah, I have concerns on plots being exactly on the borderline and possibly cutting off people from reaching the sea.
“It all starts with one exception and mushrooms to others and we don’t want this incident to set a precedent in which public access is gradually off bounds.”
mohammed@gdn.com.bh zainab@gdn.com.bh
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