At the time, it was introduced and praised as a contemporary element bringing a touch of modernity to the Valletta bastion walls.

It was also presented as a vantage point from which people could look down Republic Street right to St Elmo and towards Floriana on the other side.

Now the belvedere that was proposed to City Gate has been removed and Mepa’s board yesterday gave its consent.

There will be no place where people can look over the bastions. On the other hand, as the architect, Konrad Buhagiar, explained to Miriam Cremona who was the sole member of the public to be present and speak at the board meeting, and who was arguing in favour of adding a gate to the City Gate instead of just a gash in the walls, one gets the feel that one is entering a walled city by passing over a narrow bridge and by passing by huge and massive walls – both characteristics that are unobtainable with the present City Gate.

Ms Cremona was still not satisfied, although she fully agreed with doing away with the belvedere. But the whole issue showed that the project is not cast in stone at all and that the planners have been, in this regard at least, sensitive to public opinion. Maybe the future will show similar sensitivity with regard to that other sore point of the project, the lack of roof over the Opera House space. Maybe someone should take a leaf out of the history of papal conclaves and remove the roof over the Mepa boardroom when they next discuss that.

As proposed in the latest design the gate is still composed of three sections, which will fill the gap left by the dismantling of the existing gate. The location of the two perforations are still the same (one opposite Triq ir-Repubblika, serving as the main entrance and the other to its left serving as access into the ditch). In this latest design the width of the main perforation is slightly reduced from that approved (from 8.2m to 7.9m), and the secondary opening has been reduced to 2m.

The three main components of the gate, three large Lower Coralline Limestone blocks, have a differing profile. Their height is approximately the same as that of the existing bastion wall, however they have been extended beyond the bastion wall. The belvedere initially proposed over the central element has been removed and so has the access on top of it; however its height has been increased, though not exceeding that of the bastion wall. Its depth has also been increased from the initial proposal, however it does not exceed the width of the bastion wall.

In the latest proposal the rightmost monolith is still designed as a solid mass; the central element, which included a staircase leading from street level upwards, is now also proposed as one solid mass. The left-hand side monolith still incorporates a staircase leading to the ditch level and is perforated at the top to allow light to penetrate through it.

The design element which all three components of the gate had either a recess at the bottom or were internally supported to be viewed as levitating over the rock surface has now been removed and the three blocks rest at level with the rock surface.

The varnished steel plate inserts which were proposed in pairs at the edges of the existing bastion walls and at the edge of the second perforation have been redesigned and re-organised. The blades at the edges of the new gate and at one side of the secondary opening are still proposed.

However the twin plates on the other side of the secondary opening have now been replaced by a single plate on one side and three plates on the lift side. Single plates have also been introduced at the sides of the main opening. The plates have also been generally reduced in size and the extension above the gate element of the plates at the sides of the secondary opening have been lowered from 5.0m to 0.4m.

The access to ditch level has also been reorganised to accommodate a different layout for the internal staircase and the lift leading to the railway viaduct being shifted to the opposite side of that approved. The proposal of the staircase requires additional excavations to that already permitted.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage indicated that the plans do not indicate a threat to any known historical feature and found no objection subject to works being undertaken in keeping with approved methodology to ensure that no historical feature in the vicinity is damaged and that the works are monitored by an approved archaeologist.

The Heritage Planning Unit noted that the amendments to the original proposal may be permissible subject to conditions including a request that further details of the roofing over of the space where the lift and stairs are currently located are provided when they are available.

The proposed new design addresses the concerns raised regarding the addition of a belvedere and the extent of the steel plates, which were considered as accretions to the secondary opening, which would have adversely affected the context of the bastions and to the main elevation of the capital.

The new design does not interfere with the visual continuity of the Valletta landfront.

As regards the ditch, the accent will be that the view of the ditch from the bridge must not be hindered by trees. The trees will thus be planted on the counterguard side while the bastion side will be left in the clear for people to admire the massive bastion structure from close by (the ditch will become a garden, rather than a parking space).

The only exception to the above will be the big tree one still sees on the Railway Tunnel side. As a counterpart to this, a huge cedar will be planted on the other side of the bridge. The other trees to be planted will all be endemic, Mediterranean trees such as cypresses and Aleppo Pines such as one finds in Rome.

The garden will be a lush garden, such as the Ġnien tal-Milorda.