The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has expressed satisfaction that the owners of Villa Bologna have present a formal request for the building – one of the oldest in Attard – and its surroundings to be included in the list of scheduled property.

In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, Mepa said Villa Bologna and a large part of the land surrounding it had already been included as an “open space enclave” in the local development plan. Mepa is now evaluating the owners’ request to provide better protection for the property. The authority is also considering preserving a small part of land in the vicinity that had been identified for further development.

The authority also noted that ever since the consultation process for the drafting of the local development plan started in 2002, the owners of Villa Bologna never made any form of request regarding the use of their property and the surrounding land.