Law courts extension may impinge on Valletta’s World Heritage status

Valletta risks being stripped of its World Heritage Status because of two houses built up to a height of eight storeys between Strait Street and Old Bakery Street, conservationist NGO Flimkien ghal-Ambjent Ahjar has told MaltaToday.

In 2010, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority granted a permit for two houses to be extended to eight storeys, to accommodate the judges and staff of the new Drugs Court.

The proposed development consisted in the demolition of the building in Strait Street, retaining only its façade and minor internal alterations within the building of Old Bakery Street.

Government first applied for permission in 2001. In 2002, the Planning Directorate also refused an application to build a bridge that would connect the new building to the existing Law Courts.

At the time, the case officer report had dismissed the proposed bridge - a steel structure - as "unacceptable" and which didn't comply with the area policy of the Grand Harbour Local Plan.

The report had described the proposed development as "incompatible with the urban design and environmental characteristics of the Urban Conservation Area", adding that it would not maintain the "visual integrity" of the area.

In 2007, a second case officer report made after MEPA's original decision was appealed, reiterated that there was no recommendation available to make and repeated that permission should not be granted.

In 2010, the Planning Authority reconsidered its decision and granted permission for the project.

Reacting to the project, environment NGO Flimkien ghall-Ambjent Ahjar said that its main concern was preserving Valletta's roofscape: "This has already been seriously compromised by the granting of permits for so-called 'washrooms' which subsequently mushroomed into penthouses and extra floors," FAA said.

"Ignoring the UNESCO restrictions as to what can and cannot be done in a World Heritage site will further compromise the World Heritage Status of Valletta and risk having Valletta stripped of its World Heritage status."

UNESCO officially recognised Valletta as a World Heritage Site in 1980. In 2009, the International Council of Monuments and Sites raised concerns on building height limitations within the city and its environs, among others.

Last September, the UN agency's assistant director general for culture Francesco Bandarin said UNESCO was worried about modern insertions in the capital city.

UNESCO's guidelines for urban development in cities with such status clearly states that "townscapes, roofscapes, main visual axes, building plots and types are integral parts of the historic urban landscape. With regard to renewal, the historic roofscape and the original building plots serve as the basis for planning and design".

FAA said it could not understand how the application was first refused in 2003 and again recommended for refusal at the reconsideration stage, and yet the MEPA Directorate's recommendation to refuse was overturned without providing any justification according to planning regulations as the DCC was obliged to provide.

"Not only was this permit granted against the Directorates' recommendation, but the applicant (government) also successfully appealed against conditions in the permit," FAA said.

The conservation NGO added that the Heritage Advisory Board examined this case, but their report against the development was not made public, as MEPA is obliged at law to do.

"The Appeals Tribunal had quoted the difficulty to adapt an old building to modern requirements, given that one has to respect its conservation value, as an excuse for not accommodating parliament in existing palaces and auberges in Valletta, as stipulated by the Structure Plan.

"How can MEPA now justify the outright demolition of a property in Valletta in order to accommodate offices for the judiciary?" FAA said.

The NGO added that MEPA "sidestepped" a number of laws and regulations to grant the permit.

"As we saw in the case of the parliament building and the MITA building at Psaila Street, instead of setting an example, government ministries and authorities are often the worst offenders," FAA insisted.

In comments to MaltaToday, the technical committee of the Valletta and Floriana Rehabilitation Committee said that following the no-objection of the Heritage Advisory Committee to the proposed development, it had also given its no-objection to the proposed changes to the façade on Strait Street.

"But [we] expressed concern over the extension of four floors on Old Bakery Street which floors were to be at a set-back from Old Bakery Street," the rehabilitation committee said.

"The Committee also expressed its objection to the bridge linking the Strait Street building to the Law Courts."

Meanwhile, Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli expressed his hope that MEPA would do nothing that would place Valletta's World Heritage Status at risk.

"I'm sure that MEPA will look into all the considerations over Valletta's status and I'm positive they won't do anything to place that status at risk," the mayor said.

Dingli also confirmed that the local council was never involved in talks over the development.

Government also confirmed with this newspaper that the actual building works have already been completed. A call for tenders for the finishing works will be issued shortly. It is envisaged that the whole project will be completed by early 2013.

"Once this project is completed, works on the extension of the Family Court will commence.

"Consultations on this particular project are currently underway and meetings with architects are planned," a spokesman for the Justice Ministry said.