Malta’s built heritage has until now been protected through scheduling, which identifies buildings which cannot be demolished or changed, and often safeguards them by creating a protective area known as a ‘buffer zone’.  Once protected, Malta’s treasures, such as its temples and palaces, could not be touched.

In a statement, NGO’s Flimkien Ghall Ambjent Ahjar, the Ramblers Association and Friends of the Earth said MEPA’s scheduling is a slow process and many important heritage sites and properties have not been protected yet; still, until now, a building could be given emergency protection if a permit endangering it is issued. MEPA is now proposing that once a permit is issued to demolish a heritage building, it can no longer be protected by emergency scheduling.

MEPA is also proposing to weaken the preservation of Malta’s heritage by presenting two policies for consideration. The first concerns the sanctioning of illegal developments close to scheduled properties. The second policy being considered is the scheduling of cultural heritage sites where scheduled buildings will be reviewed every 10 years putting these at risk of being demolished in favour of yet more apartments.

The Ta’ Hagrat/Skorba Buffer Zone is a legislated policy which prohibits all new developments within its borders. The permit to build a house within the Ta’ Hagrat protected area disregards MEPA’s own policy that no development should take place in this buffer zone - in fact at least three other proposed developments had been refused within the Ta' Hagrat buffer zone. 

The issuing of a permit to build a house within this buffer zone, not only violates the integrity of the temples but also sets the unfortunate precedent allowing development not only in the extensive Skorba/Ta’Hagrat Temples Mgarr Buffer Zone but also threatens other UNESCO World Heritage sites around Malta as well as natural conservation areas.

FAA and Ramblers Association call on the government of Malta, the Mgarr local council, Heritage Malta and the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage to take all the necessary action to stop this development, less than 20 meters away from Ta’ Hagrat Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The eNGOs also call on MEPA and the government of Malta to drop their proposals to review scheduling every 10 years and to uphold emergency conservation orders, giving every possible support to those preserving Malta’s heritage for future generations.

Malta’s cultural heritage is precious – it is not only our pride as a nation, it is also the most important element of our tourism, the pillar of our economy.  We therefore call on the guardians of our heritage to do everything in their power to protect it.