Master plan seeks to revitalise Vittoriosa

A team of Israeli architects have been appointed to work on a master plan for Vittoriosa.

The architects, Giora Solar and Arie Rahamimoff, were commissioned by the Cottonera Rehabilitation Project following a call for tenders.

Both architects have worked on master plans for historic towns before: Mr Solar worked as head of the conservation department of the Israeli Antiquities Authority and Mr Rahamimoff is an architect and town planner with particular emphasis on historic towns. Both have been involved in master plans for historic towns.

Cottonera Rehabilitation Project executive coordinator Ray Bondin said it was initially planned to have a master plan for the whole Cottonera area but, because of lack of funds, it was decided to have one for just Vittoriosa initially.

"The master plan is important to give a bit of direction as there is too much piecemeal development going on," Dr Bondin said.

"The master plan is meant to encourage more projects but these have to be in a coordinated manner. It will also go into detail. The Malta Environment and Planning Authority's master plan does not go into specific policies.

Mr Solar said the master plan would look at "even the small problems".

"If people made changes to houses or façades, it means they felt they needed to be done. The master plan is not meant to be telling people they cannot do this or that but to guide them and provide alternatives," he said.

It is pointless to forbid people from having water tanks on roofs or air conditioners or satellite dishes. They would do them just the same, so it is better to have guidelines so that these can be done with the least intrusions possible, he said.

Even simple things such as traffic signs should be placed with care in historic settings, he said.

Mr Solar, who has been to Malta several times, said a lot of consultation meetings would be held with people in Vittoriosa.

"We want to find out what they think about tourism there, whether they want it and whether they want foreigners to live there. People complain that tourists do not spend money there as they are brought in coaches and don't spend anything there.

"But there are hardly any places where tourists can spend time and money in the locality. There are no good restaurants. Most important, buildings can only be seen from the outside as they are closed or occupied by individuals who do not let anybody in. There is even a church with important baroque architecture and paintings that is closed because it is used as a store.

"Should there be small, perhaps inexpensive, hotels on a bed and breakfast basis? It is very hard to know if there is a demand unless you offer the service. Do people want more foreigners to buy property and live there," Mr Solar asked.

"We must not go back to the times of the knights and the master plan would contain guidelines on the use of materials such as tiles on façades, aluminium doors and windows as well as colour schemes.

"I think that people in Malta are not aware of the importance of what they have around them and its significance. Most of the history is recounted in an anecdotal way.

"You have the oldest standing monuments. The Great Siege is not part of Malta's history but the history of the Mediterranean. It was Christianity against Islam then, just as it is on the international front now.

"The Second World War was a very important war. Had Malta fallen, it could have changed the course of history of Europe and the world and there is not enough recognition of this," Mr Solar remarked.

"With our plan we hope to both make suggestions about what could be improved and how, as well as what should be done. This would, hopefully, avert mistakes and help revitalise areas steeped in heritage which are in a state of semi or complete neglect," Mr Solar said.