Ray Bondin, the executive coordinator of the Valletta Rehabilitation Project, lambasted the authorities yesterday over the changing skyline of the capital city and the lack of funding for an integrated restoration and conservation project in Valletta.

Dr Bondin, who is also chairperson of the national committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, was speaking at a seminar organised by ICOMOS Malta in collaboration with Heritage Malta and the Department of Architecture and Urban Design in the University of Malta.

Giving a presentation titled “Valletta: still a World Heritage City?” Dr Bondin said he was extremely upset that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority is failing to enforce its policies regarding crucial details that are negatively affecting the capital’s skyline.

He said the authority has awarded a number of permits for extra rooms and penthouses but is failing to enforce regulations and, as a result, the Valletta skyline is changing very, very rapidly, despite complaints lodged by the VRP.

Dr Bondin pointed to the changing values of authenticity, which are becoming much more difficult to identify in cities than in other heritage sites like megalithic temples.

“Is Valletta still in the same authentic state it was in 1980, when it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City?” he asked, before pointing out that MEPA is also failing to enforce the use of traditional colour schemes on facades in Valletta.

“We are losing so many original elements and details. While the city still retains its urban fabric, houses are losing much of their internal integrity,” maintained Dr Bondin.

He explained that the phenomenon of “facadism” is making us lose elements inside buildings, like spiral staircases (garigor) and mezzanine floors.

While he acknowledged that some changes are acceptable, he said that changes that go over the limit shouldn’t be allowed in a World Heritage City.

Dr Bondin said although he was very pleased with certain projects like the Park & Ride scheme and the forthcoming project to pedestrianise some central streets in Valletta, what the capital lacked was an integrated restoration and conservation project.

“Not only have the funds for restoration and conservation of the capital city not been increased, they have been decreasing steadily over the past years,” he said.

Referring to the recent announcement that the government is planning to invest some e30 million for the restoration of bastions, fortifications and other heritage buildings, Dr Bondin said “this is just a drop in the ocean”.

What the capital city needs is proper management, he said. Conservation must be coupled with management on every level – tourism, visitor numbers and site management.

He also spoke about the legal protection of monuments and heritage sites in Valletta. In 1980, the Museums Department had identified the Maltese capital as having: “320 monuments, confined within an area of 55 hectares, which make it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world”.

However, four years ago, MEPA had identified 100 buildings that were in an authentic state and, when asked about legal protection for these buildings, the authority had said that the whole capital city was scheduled, Dr Bondin said, adding that this was “absolutely ridiculous” and the proper documentation of monuments and heritage sites was necessary.

When prompted by a MEPA planning officer at the seminar that enforcement, together with the monitoring of final compliance certificates was one of the authority’s main problems, Dr Bondin said the problem regarding the skyline is much worse than simple enforcement since there is no clear rule on new building heights in Valletta.

Higher buildings have increased tremendously in the capital over the past years and, being a World Heritage City, one also has to consider the landscape surrounding the capital, particularly the Tigne high-rise buildings being proposed just across Marsamxett.

Dr Bondin said a number of people have written to UNESCO about the Tigne project and this shows that many are concerned about the impact of such high buildings on the whole area.