Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) said today it welcomed the Court's decision to block the demolition of a two-storey house in St Mary Street, Sliema built in 1861.

This application to build a narrow, eight-storey hotel on the site of a 150-year house in St Mary's Street, had been refused by the Planning Authority following an FAA campaign to save the streetscape of one of Sliema's oldest streets. This narrow street is often gridlocked, and another hotel in this row of untouched old houses would have further impacted the quality of life of local residents.

The Planning Tribunal had however overturned the refusal and the development was set to happen. Still, a dogged Court appeal by FAA resulted in the application being finally quashed. The verdict of the Court of Appeal stating that the appeal is well-founded, is a very welcome judgement for a number of reasons: not only will the facade and height of the old house be spared, along with the residents' quality of life, but the various important points upheld by the court may now serve as a precedent to challenge other damaging projects. 

St Mary Street is a rarity in that many of its historic buildings have been preserved thanks to the Urban Conservation Area (UCA) policy. However following developers' pressure, the street's UCA protection street was removed. Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar calls for increased protection of Malta's heritage areas, which reflect our national identity and attract tourism. FAA points to pending applications that threaten the unique Palazzo Giannin at Ghaxaq as well as two pending applications to build hotels well over the existing skyline in the Rabat Saqqajja area which would ruin this largely untouched, beautiful heritage zone.