Matthew Vella
Conservationists Flimkien għal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) yesterday called for EU funds to be spent on the purchase of heritage sites and “green lungs of vital importance to cultural heritage, health and well-being of local residents” that are currently threatened, such as Hondoq ir-Rummien, Wied il-Ghasel, Villa Bonici in Sliema and Marsaskala’s public open space.
“The fate of lesser known prehistoric temples at Mgarr, not far from the Skorba Temples, is looking more positive ever since a move by Heritage Malta to buy up surrounding unbuilt land. This site was granted a permit to build structures that would visually encroach on the temples,” FAA said, praising the initiative taken by the heritage organisation to ward off encroaching development around the sensitive ancient site.
“While certainly a positive development, this is also something of a desperate and costly solution, especially as once this highly irregular permit was issued, Heritage Malta had to compensate the landowners at commercial rates,” spokesperson Astrid Vella said.
“If MEPA’s policies for protecting monuments and respecting the same buffer zones designated by MEPA itself were working properly, then the money could have gone into restoration and interpretation of these historical sites. We are very grateful to Heritage Malta for intervening in this way although it reflects how poorly our historical environment is defended by the very Authority that has a duty to safeguard national heritage,” Vella said.
FAA called for the activation of MEPA’s Heritage Fund which was intended specifically for the purchase and upkeep of listed buildings or neighbouring land, in order to ensure the maintenance, restoration, or preservation of Malta’s archaeological and architectural heritage.
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