The Ggantija Temple complex could very well lose its UNESCO World Heritage Site status due to yet another controversial property development encroaching on the site’s buffer zone.

The three-storey development in question involves the extension of a single farmhouse, located just 20 metres south of the Xaghra Circle, into three farmhouses, each with a swimming pool.

The building is situated within the Ggantija Temples buffer zone, and since one of the criteria the World Heritage Centre uses to assess a site’s worthiness is the presence of illegal structures close to such sites, Ggantija could stand to lose its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

The World Heritage Centre, in fact, tasks Heritage Malta, the managing authority for Malta’s prehistoric sites, with regularly submitting reports on Malta’s megalithic temples, including

information about illegal structures close to them.

In 2007, the World Heritage Committee decided that “actions to address illegal construction are to be continued and enforced as part of efforts to improve the state of conservation of Megalithic Temples”, after Heritage Malta had submitted a lengthy report showing that illegal construction work, especially the work close to Ggantija, was being addressed.

Heritage Malta is not the only authority concerned over the irregular development, explains Prof. Anthony Bonanno, Head of the Archaeology and Classics Department at the University of Malta.

Contacted this week, he voiced his “shock” that “a very conspicuous three-storey block on the edge of the street leading up to the Xaghra Circle, and barely 20 metres away from it” was being built.

He also expressed disbelief over the fact that some permits had been issued by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in connection with the development, and against advice to the contrary.

When contacted, Heritage Malta expressed fear that, since construction work seems to be nearing completion, an application would be filed with Mepa with a view to sanctioning the work.

Heritage Malta said that Mepa had not consulted the authority about the development and, by way of a letter sent in June, it had called on Mepa to seriously investigate what was going on. A reminder was sent just last week.

Moreover, Heritage Malta pointed out to Mepa, the building – and particularly the “three-storey tower” – had an extensive visual impact on the whole area, being visible from the main road leading to Xaghra and even more visible from the Xaghra Stone Circle itself.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, meanwhile, informed this newspaper that the latest application for the development, which is steaming ahead despite still being at application stage, was being assessed by the unit within Mepa responsible for archaeological areas. Notwithstanding this, it still requested that Mepa consult the Superintendence on the sensitive matter.

When contacted, a Mepa spokesman explained that, while the 2008 application was still being processed, the authority had recently “stopped the work”, and an enforcement notice was to be issued.

The spokesman added that an enforcement officer is to assess the construction work and issue a 15-day order, within which period developers are rectify the situation. Asked whether such rectification would entail demolishing the extra third storey, the spokesman said that would be unlikely since an application was pending. When pressed further, the spokesman said that Mepa could demolish the structure, if the enforcement notice was not adhered to and if work resumed. Such action, however, would be subject to legal procedures.

Ongoing building work seemed to be at the final stage and no permit was affixed to the building wall when The Malta Independent on Sunday staff went on site a few days ago.

A development permit application, PA 04249/02, covering “additions and alterations (to the existent single dwelling) forming three dwellings and to construct three freshwater pools”, was filed in 2002 and the Development Control Commission initially refused permission on the recommendation of the case officer to dismiss it for various reasons.

But in an appeal heard before the DCC board in July 2007, the permit was granted in view of the fact that alignment regulations had been changed by means of the Gozo, Comino Local Plan and since caves underneath the building were to be retained, subject to a bank guarantee of Lm1,000 (€2,329).

A current 2008 application (PA 04301/08) requests an amendment to the initial permit “by sanctioning minor additions and differences” and is being considered, the Mepa spokesman explained.

The case officer’s report for the 2002 application clearly highlights that the site lies within the buffer zone for the Brochtorff Circle (the Xaghra Stone Circle) and within the scheduled Area of Archaeological Importance for Xaghra. It points out that the height limitation for Gozo was two storeys.

The report includes a number of recommendations, including that of the Integrated Heritage Management Unit, which had suggested that the original farmhouse itself was of architectural and historical importance or value and as such should be retained and restored.

The Unit went on to say that the demolition of the existing rubble walls was not permitted. The underground caves, together with the stairs leading to their entrance and the arched entrance and the adjacent rubble wall were to be retained. It further suggested that a bank guarantee of €9,317 (Lm4,000) was to be provided.

At the suggestion of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, the proposed pools were in no way to damage or impact upon the underlying caves, and the pools were to be elevated rather than excavated.

Thus the proposed development, the Unit found, was not acceptable in principle, due to the considerable alterations to a building that merited preservation, due to the total demolition of rubble walls and the encroachment on the street alignment.

It also noted that the height limitation for the area was two floors. The proposal did not include parking facilities (when only a narrow road leads to the building) and as such, parking provisions were not being complied with.

The design of the building was also considered to be unacceptable, since it was over-elaborate, failed to respect the characteristics of the area and had an adverse impact on an important archaeological site.

However, the permit was granted. Among the conditions imposed by Mepa were that work was to be carried out strictly in accordance with the approved plans and conditions, and a copy of the permit was to be maintained in good condition on the roadside wall at all times. No such copy, however, was visible this week.



annaliza@independent.com.mt