Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar is lamenting the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's failure to ensure that scheduled property is properly maintained, thus allowing it to deteriorate and possibly paving the way for its eventual demolition.

At a press conference held outside a historic property in poor state - Villa Guardamangia, which had served as the home of Queen Elizabeth II between 1949 and 1951 and which is a Grade 1 scheduled property - FAA coordinator Astrid Vella noted that according to the Development Planning Act, MEPA is empowered to require owners to carry out maintenance of scheduled property. If the owner does not comply, MEPA is even empowered to carry out the necessary works itself and recover the cost from the owner.

But these powers are not being exercised, Ms Vella observed, ostensibly due to a lack of funds.

Ms Vella noted that the deterioration of historic property has been used as an excuse to demolish and redevelop it, and insisted that many such properties were deliberately being allowed to deteriorate by people seeking to redevelop the site.

She pointed out that when it came to the proposed demolition of old properties close to the Naxxar church, the property owners specifically cited their condition to justify demolition, even though she pointed out that their assessment of the properties' condition was questionable.

But the FAA coordinator also pointed out that in various cases, owners of scheduled properties simply cannot afford to carry out restoration projects on their own, and the NGO was thus calling on the authorities to re-launch grants for the restoration of heritage buildings.

The FAA also insisted that a grant to help in the restoration of historic balconies should be reinstituted, with Ms Vella observing that many of these balconies - particularly in Valletta - were falling apart.

The NGO is also suggesting that the government should offer to acquire historic properties to pave the way for their restoration and reuse, possibly though the private sector: Ms Vella praised the government's recent initiative to lease four historic government-owned sites to the private sector with the condition that they are restored.

Ms Vella noted that the government did not hesitate to acquire private property to forge ahead with road projects, and questioned whether roads were more precious than the country's heritage.