Monumental tree in Valley Road faces the chop

Norfolk Pine Trees are not a protected species and are only granted legal protection when they are 50 years old and located outside development zones.

Yet they often serve as urban landmarks towering over nearby buildings and providing shelter for birds.

One such tree is in Valley Road next to Villa Cassar, a seemingly unremarkable residence a few metres from the bridge that spans the road that leads to Msida.

The villa which has no heritage value is earmarked for a non-controversial project to transform it into a five-storey block consisting of a catering establishment and shops at ground level, 31 overlying apartments and a basement garage for 14 cars.

But plans suggest that the Norfolk Pine Tree growing next to the house is at risk of being uprooted.  It is estimated that the tree, which rises to nearly 18 metres, the equivalent of a six-storey building, is as old as the villa which predates 1967.

A planning application presented in November 2023 states that the development does not include the felling of trees. Subsequent plans failed to refer to the presence of the tree and proposed the excavation of the entire site.

In June, the Environment and Resources Authority requested a block plan showing the existing trees in the area including, photos of the individual trees  which will be “intervened upon” showing their trunk and foliage.

A spokesperson for the Planning Authority confirmed that these documents still must be presented.

Subsequently on Saturday a new plan was submitted showing the existing basement plan, which for the first time labels the Norfolk Pine Tree while identifying the whole plot of the villa including the tree as being earmarked for demolition.

MaltaToday  has sought a clarification from the architect of the project but is still awaiting a reply.

Heritage activists who only became aware of the threat posed to the tree after the public consultation process elapsed are appealing to the authorities and the applicant to do their utmost to ensure the tree is retained and protected. They are suggesting the exclusion of the area at one end of the site where the tree is located from excavation and construction.

ERA statement

In reply to questions by this newspaper, the Environment and Resource Authority said it advised the developer and the Planning Authority to preserve the tree by redesigning the proposal to incorporate it into the development.

It also pointed out that the Norfolk Pine is not protected under the Trees and Woodlands Protection Regulations (S.L. 549.123).