Readers and listeners of various media may have over the past weeks been following cross volleys regarding a family property in Sliema. This property happens to be No 10, Dingli Street, Sliema.
As owners of this house, we have been looking at all this from above without expressing ourselves, but now the time has come when we must have a say in the matter so that the public shall no longer be fooled, and that facts are stated as they really are.
Personal interference is a very common trait when one lives in a small community like Malta but this can unfortunately trigger off serious issues which can then become most unfair and unjust.
The issue all started because an application by developers has been made with the Malta Environmental and Planning Authority (MEPA) for the construction of a block of apartments above the existing house in Dingli Street.
The façade of the house shall be completely retained in its present state, and contrary to various media reports, it shall be enhanced by marrying the old with what promises to be a very good quality development project for the interior.
The façade of this house is in the ‘Art Nouveau’ style, which is a fact we shall not deny. However, and this is where we definitely have to step in, the interior of the house has nothing to do with this style of construction.
How can anyone comment, let alone write lengthy articles about a property which he or she has never been inside? This is exactly what has been happening over the past weeks.
If one had to walk up Dingli Street in Sliema, one cannot but remark that it is the widest road in Sliema where high rise buildings do not create an eyesore or the feeling of overpowering buildings. The approved Local Plan included this house for five floors, thus keeping the skyline more uniform.
The developers have submitted photographs and approved issued permit references for five other houses in the same street which had the same characteristics as Number 10.
There is absolutely no streetscape to save any more and there is nothing new in converting the use of a site from individual possession to multiple ownership through the building of apartments.
The authorities should now concentrate on ensuring that the architectural designs of the replacement buildings will form a harmonious streetscape. That would be best all round.
The application made by the developers was not to demolish the façade of the house but to alter the interior of the house: no different from a normal double fronted house.
The interior is of ordinary construction with steel beams, rising damp and a crumbling balcony. There are no frescoes in any room and knowing the Art Nouveau style of construction we can forcefully say that there is nothing inside to say that this house was built in the ‘Art Nouveau’ period.
How can one refer to this property as a ‘national monument’ as one overly-enthusiastic commentator put it?
This is entirely absurd, almost hilarious and can only serve to fool the public.
A national monument is usually a tourist attraction we wonder how many loads of tourists have been directed to Number 10 Dingli Street!
At this point it would be most opportune for anyone who has raised an objection to this development to have a close look at the interior of the house and then have a professional (not amateur) written report about all the so-called ‘Art Nouveau’ features which have to be protected for their national heritage value.
As owners of this house we can say that whoever has fallen in love with this façade shall not be denied the pleasure of seeing it for the rest of his life as this shall still be there for public viewing.
The developers never had and do not have any intention to change this façade, on the contrary it is something they want to conserve and prevent from falling to ruin.
So please allow us to enjoy our property ownership and the essential freedoms which normally go with it.
The arguments being raised in the media against development by amateur and inexperienced individuals are just a good chance to be sensational and a good reason to be noticed.

Karmen Grima and David Sultana,
Sliema

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