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James Debono
The gap between the new block of high luxury apartments and the fortification wall erected by the Knights of St John in 1770 will be a sheer 1.2 metres, barely the width of an office desk.
During last Thursday’s MEPA board meeting, case officer Marvienne Camilleri said the new Hilton extension will be a series of terraced blocks adjacent to each other, starting from three stories up to a maximum of nine stories.
But despite the Hilton extension’s encroachment on the historical wall, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage did not respond to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s request for consultation.
MEPA said the Superintendence’s non-reaction meant there was no objection to the proposed development by the custodians of Malta’s heritage guardians.
But acting superintendent Nathaniel Cutajar told MaltaToday there was no need of the intervention of the superintendence because the wall is a Grade One architectural monument, covered by full legal protective measures.
According to Cutajar “the structure plan provides sufficient guidance for planning decisions affecting cultural properties.”
Cutajar defended the silence of the heritage watchdog saying the development was not directly impinging on the physical integrity of the architectural features on site.
The structure plan states that Grade One buildings shall be preserved in their entirety and that alterations which impair the setting or change the external or internal appearance of these buildings, will not be allowed.
It also states that permission to develop existing gap sites should be sympathetic with adjoining buildings in terms of building line, height, silhouette, fenestration, and materials.
A MEPA spokesperson insisted the development of a nine-storey building adjacent to a Grade One monument does not contradict these policies. He also said the specific area does not qualify as a “gap site”.
Defending MEPA’s record on this case, the spokesperson said that during the process of the application, historical features were given their due importance.
MEPA in fact managed to convince the developer to change original plans to have balconies overshadowing the wall and the abutment of structural columns on the wall itself.
Residents living in properties listed as Grade Two properties in Paceville’s Wilga Street have also objected to the development, citing concerns about noise, privacy and views. According to Peter Caruana Galizia, who represented the residents during the meeting, only four metres will separate the proposed nine-storey building and the residents’ properties.
The residents demanded that the three-storey block is removed to increase the gap between the extension and their properties. Architect Ray Demicoli insisted that this would have hindered the terracing effect. Ultimately however, the residents’ objection were ignored by MEPA board and the Hilton developers have once more won the day.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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