Manoel Island and Fort Tigné will be returned to the Maltese public after government reached an agreement with MIDI plc to terminate a long-standing development concession.Prime Minister Robert Abela announced the move in a video message, saying it delivers on a promise to give Manoel Island back to the people, with Fort Tigné included in the same deal.The original agreement, signed in 2000, had granted MIDI a 99-year concession to develop Manoel Island and Tigné Point. However, no development ever took place on Manoel Island, prompting government to step in and begin negotiations to halt the project entirely.Talks later intensified amid the possibility of further development at Fort Tigné, with government making it clear from the start that it would not pay compensation for the land itself.Instead, government will only cover verified expenses incurred by MIDI, mainly related to restoring parts of Manoel Island to their original state. Even then, only just over half of the confirmed costs will be paid.Abela said the move opens the door for both sites to be transformed into national parks for the public to enjoy, forming part of a wider vision that also includes projects at White Rocks, Fort Campbell and Fort San Salvatore.Consultations are already underway through the “Shape Your Space” initiative, with families, professionals and even children being invited to help design the future of these green spaces.The Prime Minister thanked everyone involved in the negotiations, as well as campaigners and organisations who pushed for Manoel Island to be returned to the public, saying Malta is now in a position to turn long-standing ambitions into reality.What do you make of this?Video credits to Robert Abela View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)•