A planning permit that was approved on the edge of Xaghra has caused an uproar, and rightly so.

The site is in a sensitive area, overlooking the Ggantija temple complex. One of the main issues is that UNESCO was ignored by the Planning Authority.

The site in question currently consists of an existing two-storey building with an ancillary garage and stores, with undeveloped land at the rear. The proposal was to demolish the existing dwelling (including dismantling part of existing façade) and construct 20 garages at basement level and 22 overlying apartments on three levels (including the ground floor), with the top level being a setback floor.

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre had insisted that a heritage impact assessment had to be carried out. The permit was suspended for six months, but the Planning Authority gave its approval without such an assessment taking place. Ggantija is a UNESCO Heritage Site and, as such, should be given the utmost protection. But, yet again, the Planning Authority takes a controversial decision in favour of a development.

If UNESCO insists that a Heritage Impact Assessment is carried out, then this must be carried out, and cannot be treated as an optional choice. The Planning Authority’s treatment of this issue is appalling to say the least, and highly questionable. It is in the national interest, and would also be sound planning, to do all that is needed to ensure that our heritage is protected.

The situation goes a step further. According to the minutes of the Board meeting that took place during which the permit was approved, one of the applicant’s representatives said that the application site in question does not fall within the Ggantija Buffer Zone, and that on a point of clarification made by the Chairman, the Directorate confirmed that the site falls within the Ggantija Area of Archaeological Importance and not the Ggantija Buffer Zone. But appeals filed with the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal by NGOs as well as the Xaghra Local Council argue that it does fall within the buffer zone. The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage also says it does, as does Heritage Malta. In fact, a number of them cite a map from the UNESCO website showing that it does fall within the buffer zone.

This alone raises serious concerns about the decision taken, and raises concerns about the diligence of the board members.

While it is true that the Superintendence filed a request for the application to be suspended or revoked with the Planning Authority, also stating that the site is indeed within the buffer zone for the Ggantija World Heritage Site, it also did drop the ball. The Superintendence had, in documents in 2022, indicated that there was no objection to the volume and massing of the building, after it, and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Technical Committee (which is described by the Superintendence as the body responsible for ensuring Malta upholds its international commitments to protect and enhance the values of UNESCO World Heritage Sites) noted that the latest proposal at the time had adequately addressed the concerns outlined in a previous document. But as soon as the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (which is the focal point and coordinator within UNESCO for all matters related to World Heritage) said that a Heritage Impact Assessment was needed, the Superintendence should have made it absolutely clear that any go ahead should be dependent on the outcome of this assessment.

There have also been other points raised in the appeals, relating to breaches of policy.

Malta’s heritage sites must be given the absolute protection they deserve, and that includes the views from the site outwards. In situations where a Heritage Impact Assessment is needed to ensure that a development will not have an impact, then that absolutely must be carried out, no questions asked, and an extra degree of caution should absolutely be used. The Planning Authority needs to start acting like a Planning Authority.