To say that Valletta is one of the jewels of the Mediterranean would not be an overstatement.  Unique as far as capital cities go, it is a piece of national pride that Valletta is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

That’s why it is a collective national responsibility to protect Valletta at all costs.

The latest UNESCO's World Heritage Committee report on Valletta, issued this past week, gave mixed feedback.

On the one hand, the committee welcomed several things such as the submission of the draft Management Plan, the Views and Vistas Analysis, and a proposal for a buffer zone for the city, 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 of the area.

The Committee also welcomed the preparation of Heritage Impact Assessments for several largescale development proposals.

However, it noted “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 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, and the 2022 Grand Harbour Local Plan to establish effective height controls within and around the property," with reference to the city.

It also requested 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.

This is a report which shows that while there has been progress and there are positives to commend, there is still work to be done in other areas so that Valletta can be protected even more.

This work includes certain policy changes which will likely not be too popular with the more commercially natured of the country’s stakeholders, but in order to ensure the protection of Valletta and its iconic skyline then it is integral that these changes are made.

Particular attention must be given to Valletta’s skyline and how it can be potentially affected by developments within its line of vision. Areas where such high intensity developments can take place, such as Sliema, are subject to several applications for high-rises and these developments may have a permanent impact on Valletta’s own skyline.

It is important that the good work done so far not only continues, but is built upon.  The government needs to be bolder in how it works to protect the capital city, and that includes by setting standards for the area around it and by protecting what is within the fortified city as well.