Current planning policies and regulations do not sufficiently safeguard the setting of Valletta, a draft document by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has said.

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, in collaboration with ICOMOS and ICCROM, has presented a report at its 47^th Session in Paris

The Committee, as per the report in the section of Valletta, issued a draft decision,on a document containing information on the state of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, one of which was the City of Valletta.

In its draft decision, it welcomes the submission of the draft Management Plan, the Views and Vistas Analysis (VVA), and a proposal for a buffer zone for the property (in reference to the City of Valletta), as well as the implementation of, and submission to the World Heritage Centre of, impact assessments for projects that may affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property.

But it "notes with concern that the current planning policies and regulations do not sufficiently safeguard the setting of the property, and requests the State Party to revise the VVA, the 2006 North Harbour Local Plan, the 2014 Planning Policy Guide on the Use and Applicability of the Floor Area Ratio, and the 2022 Grand Harbour Local Plan to establish effective height controls within and around the property," with reference to the city.

It also requests that the draft proposal for the buffer zone be further developed, with particular attention to a more detailed assessment of the delineation of its northern boundary, especially in the area north of the property across Marsamxett Harbour, which has been identified as having high development potential.

The committee encouraged the State Party to develop an Action Plan with short-, medium- and longterm objectives to implement the actions outlined in the Management Plan, "with particular priority given to the provision of essential services, improvement of living conditions for residents within the property, and the monitoring and management of tourism; and further requests the State Party to submit the updated Management Plan, including a detailed Action Plan, to the World Heritage Centre for review by ICOMOS."

The Committee also welcomed the preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) for several largescale development proposals, "and also encourages the State Party to continue strengthening the HIA process by fully considering indirect and cumulative impacts of ongoing and future projects, both individual building adaptive re-use and larger-scale developments, within the property and its proposed buffer zone, in line with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context; and to submit detailed information on all such projects, along with their respective HIAs, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to any planning approvals, including for the entire 2021 Master Plan for Manoel Island and the proposed repurposing of the Evans Building, as well as to supplement the Conservation Management Plan for the Evans Building accordingly."

In a statement, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) said that the report by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, in collaboration with ICOMOS and ICCROM, "incorporates all the concerns expressed in Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar's paper on Valletta as a World Heritage Site, presented to the UNESCO Committee."

FAA said that the city's unique skyline and cultural value have faced increasing threats due to commercial saturation and surrounding development. FAA maintains that the buffer zone proposed by the Maltese Government is inadequate as it does not protect views of Valletta, therefore certain areas across from Valletta need height restrictions in order not to intrude on the Valletta skyline.  FAA strongly campaigned against the Manoel Island project arguing that it would block views of Valletta from stretches of the Gzira and Ta' Xbiex coast. "Moreover, FAA has consistently insisted that Valletta's residents should be protected from the excesses of commercialisation to ensure that Valletta remains an authentic, thriving, residential city, which is one of the tenets of UNESCO's World Heritage designation."

"During the 47^th World Heritage Committee session, UNESCO asked the Maltese Government to review its proposed buffer zone and to restrict building heights in order to preserve Valletta's skyline. To this end FAA prepared a study which it made available to UNESCO. UNESCO concluded that current planning policies and regulations do not sufficiently safeguard the setting of the Valletta World Heritage Site and requests the Maltese Government to revise its Views and Vistas Analysis, the 2006 North Harbour Local Plan, the 2014 Planning Policy Guide on the Use and Applicability of the Floor Area Ratio (tall buildings policy) and the 2022 Grand Harbour Local Plan too. These should include firm height regulations and align with the proposed buffer zone to ensure consistent and comprehensive protection, establishing effective height controls within and around Valletta," FAA said.

FAA said that the broad call for review of Malta's planning policies regarding Valletta is radical; "Malta is also asked to submit an updated report on Valletta's conservation status and implementation progress by 1^st December 2026."

"Valletta is a cherished site recognized for its Outstanding Universal Value. The Maltese Government has a global responsibility to preserving its unique character and cultural legacy which requires proactive planning, responsible development, and continuous collaboration between local authorities, international bodies, local NGOs and the community," FAA said.