The Kamra tal-Periti, Din l-Art Ħelwa and Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar have filed a court application requesting that the approval of the permission for demolition of the former Sea Malta building through the Dangerous Structure procedure be declared null and void,

In November 2017, the three organisations had issued two joint statements on the  former Sea Malta building, a “fine modernist building” which met its ultimate fate following the approval by the Planning Authority of an application for its demolition under the Dangerous Structure procedure.

They said the Authority is only allowed to authorise, by this process, works which are limited to the removal of the danger, and as long as the danger cannot be removed by temporary shoring, and works must be “limited to the minimum emergency works required to remove the source of danger, until any required permission for more lasting interventions is obtained”.

“In complete violation of the provisions of the law, and in defiance of a request by the Commissioner for Environment and Planning in the Office of the Ombudsman for the “suspension of this permit with immediate effect”, the Authority failed to recognise its error and sadly, this building is now lost.”

The organizations said this situation was “unacceptable.” Besides calling for the permission to be revoked, the court application also claims that the Planning Authority acted ultra vires in terms of the applicable legislation.

The organisations are also requesting that the Court orders remedial measures to be undertaken, as it deems fit.

The first hearing of this case will be held on 24 May.