‘Minimalist’ square replaces Valletta playground

Valletta mayor Alexei Dingli said the council has decided to transfer the play area at Mattia Preti square to Peacock Gardens across the road, due to safety concerns.

"Mattia Preti square is surrounded by roads on four sides, which are very heavily used since St John Street is one of the main exit points of the city," Dingli said. 

Permits for the new square were approved on 30 November 2010 and works were completed in the past weeks. According to the mayor, the brief was to restore the concept of a square as "an open space where people can meet and socialise".

When asked about the absence of greenery in the new square, the mayor pointed out that flowers and greenery are located around it, as is the case in most squares. "This project should not be seen in isolation but within the context of Peacock Gardens as well, where we will uplift the gardens while including more greenery."

He pointed out that the council has already secured EU funding for this project, but its approval by MEPA remains doubtful due to concern on its impact on the bastions.

MEPA had refused the first application for the embellishment of Peacock Gardens in 2011, as the proposed Belvedere structure would have obstructed views from across the harbour. On that occasion, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage insisted that any development should respect the original use of the site as a military battery designed as an open space and an observation point "free of visual obstruction".

But subsequently the architect of the project appealed against the decision which was overturned by the MEPA appeal's board in November 2011 and a permit was issued.

But the Valletta council had in meantime re-applied for a new development permission with a different design and a different architect. This application is still pending.

In January, MEPA's Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee insisted that the application should be refused again because of its negative impact on the bastions. According to the committee the application is in breach of a number of MEPA policies regulating development in urban conservation areas and scheduled monuments like the Valletta bastions: "The aim of these policies is to remove all accretions on bastions and not to create new structures in their vicinity."

If the application is turned down again, Valletta would remain deprived of a play area for its children.