The company involved in the White Rocks project announced five years ago by the previous Nationalist administration is still puzzled why a decision was taken to cancel their initiative.
In a media statement issued this morning, Don Brister Director White Rocks Holding Company Ltd said the investment of our company and the Government was substantial, the project was in its final stages and all the required elements of the new proposed project had been delivered.
The project was stopped at an advanced stage of development late in 2012, the statement said. At that time White Rocks company was in negotiations with an appointed independent panel including the Accountants KPMG and representatives of the Sports Associations, the Sports Council and Govermnent finance body. These negotiations were in final stages of agreement for the purchase of a long lease and annual service charges payable to the Government.
The overall facility would have consisted of an international hotel, shopping mall, apartments, public park, car parking for 2500+ cars, open public areas and the most advanced international sports facility in the Mediterranean. This facility would have created 1,600+ jobs, visitors from all over Europe and beyond through the entire year and would have been a huge benefit to the health and fitness of the Maltese people.
Our consultant team, Mr Brister said, have worked on the scheme for approximately four years and are all leading international companies, architects Faulkner Browns, engineers Mott MacDonalds, cost consultants and project managers, Gleeds. The above consultants were in advanced negotiations with all the utility companies and Goverment bodies.
There were extensive checks by the previous Government on the funding of the project for construction, finance and ongoing costs including confirmation from our funders on two official visits by the Sports Ministry and the relevant financial bodies to London on two separate occasions to discuss funding availability and commitment. As well as a three day meeting in Malta with Directors of the Fund including an extensive written communication to satisfy the Ministry of Sports and Finance which was agreed that the facility was available subject to the correct permit and permissions to proceed with the project.
The agreement for the appointment of SIV to manage the sports facility as they carry out this function for the British Sports Federation in Sheffield and various private facilities in the UK. Their appointment was in agreement with the Government. All market research on and off Malta had been carried out to the satisfaction of all parties by our consultants, Elms Partnership (Sports and Leisure Consultants). The specification for the Sports Facility was prepared and presented to the Sports and Finance Ministry in Dec 2010 which encumbers all the specified sports facilities. These facilities were agreed and specified by the Sports Associations of Malta over several months of negotiation in the sports ministry with Elms Consultants and Consultants appointed by the Government.
“Over a four year period we had numerous meetings with Sports and Finance Ministry and various Government bodies as well as Sports Associations on a regular basis and one of our Directors was semi permanent on Malta. Our architects Faulkner Browns and engineers Motts MacDonalds, Elms Partnerships, Gleeds project managers and SIV management for the Sports Facility attended the majority of these meetings.
“By the end of 2012 all these negotiations were completed or being finalised and all surveys, traffic management and infrastructure were being agreed.
“The shareholders and Directors have made a considerable investment of over 3 million euros and six years of management time to the project so to see comments in the media that the White Rocks project was never serious is incorrect and our commitment to the project and the Maltese people is dismissed in such an offhand manner.”
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