A PLAN to designate public access seafronts across Bahrain is underway, pledged a minister.
Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf told the Shura Council during its weekly meeting yesterday that the government was working on multiple projects for public beaches.
He added that work is ongoing on a massive project for a public coast from Juffair to Reef Island in line with orders by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
“The Strategic Master Plan for Bahrain already stipulates that 50 per cent of all coasts remain open for the public,” said Mr Khalaf.
“We have ensured that proper public coasts are provided as we carried out work on the first phases of the Busaiteen, Ma’ameer, Tubli and Sitra coasts.
“Work has also begun to have seafronts in Manama stretching from Juffair, Al Fateh Corniche, Manama to Reef Island.
“We also have the right to cut up to 30pc for public services when issuing construction permits for special investment projects in accordance with the 1994 Urban and Development Plot Divison Law.
“Most investors tend to accept this; there are free access public spaces across developments.”
Mr Khalaf told MPs in November last year that Bahrain has 34 public coastlines stretching up to 41.83km, while seven more registered coastlines, stretching up to 10.225km, were under development.
The coastlines under development included around 2km in Galali, 1.029km in Dair, 940 metres in Samaheej, 1.034km in Abu Sobh, Duraz, 119m on one side in Karzakan and 234.5m on the other side, and 4.871km at Bilaj Al Jazair.
Seventeen other locations have also been identified covering a distance of 123.7km including a 49km stretch around the protected Tubli Bay.
The government has managed to get around 6km of coastal spaces from infrastructure division of private plots.
Meanwhile, during yesterday’s session, 31 Shura Council members voted against a controversial law that would force investors carrying out projects on coastal plots to allocate 50pc of the seafront for free public access.
Four voted in favour and five didn’t cast their vote.
Under the law, any government official failing to implement the regulation or found violating its provisions will be punished with a jail term of between a month and a year or fined between BD10,000 and BD100,000.
Those who block public access may incur a prison sentence of between a month to three months or a fine of between BD500 and BD1,000, or both.
The penalties will be doubled if the offences are repeated.
Parliament approved the move last year.
However, the Shura Council struck it down asserting that it trespassed on private property. MPs have, once again, forwarded the proposal to the Shura Council.
Shura’s rejection for a second time means that it would be referred to a joint National Assembly session attended by members of both chambers, which has not occurred since 2002.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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