Lm2m rescue plan needed for Fort St Elmo

About Lm2 million needs to be poured into Fort St Elmo, in Valletta if one of Malta's biggest historical gems is to be rescued from further damage, the Valletta Rehabilitation Project's executive coordinator, Ray Bondin, said.

The situation at the 16th century fort is so desperate that the VRP is to convene an emergency workshop on October 30 to try and mobilise resources into action.

Vandalism in the area is rife - squatters occupy parts of the fort, stray dogs roam around all day, camps have been set up and skeletons of burnt cars litter the rubbish-strewn area.

The dilapidated buildings evoke memories of the revolting atmosphere of the film set it hosted back in the 1970s, Midnight Express, which focused on a draconian Turkish prison.

Years of neglect have transformed Fort St Elmo into a problem for which nobody seems to assume responsibility. Others say the damage done is already so extensive that it would be hard for anyone to take on its restoration.

The situation has become so bad that the Malta Tourism Authority recently suspended visits and guided tours to Fort St Elmo because of safety concerns relating to parts of the fort's structure.

It is ironic that a fort which put up a heroic defence against the Ottoman Turks way back in 1565, resisted the Italian E-boats in 1941 and which was handed to the Maltese authorities by the British in 1974 in pristine condition has been relegated to such a state.

Last August, President Guido de Marco made an impassioned plea for the restoration of Fort St Elmo, which he described as a national embarrassment.

"Fort St Elmo seems to be too hot to handle. At the moment it's a free-for-all and the situation is out of control," Dr Bondin told The Times.

Though government security staff are meant to be guarding the only entrance, it is literally open to everybody, Dr Bondin said.

He said he could not believe the cheek of some squatters in the area who in recent months had become more arrogant than ever.

Last month, vandals struck again at the archives of the War Museum inside the fort, setting fire to documents and books that have been collected by the members of the War Museum Association and destroying an important part of the collection.

Dr Bondin said many people believed the problem was centred around Lower St Elmo but the upper part of the fort was riddled with its fair share of problems as well.

Although the police, who have their training academy there, maintain the area they occupy, there were "big structural problems", the VRP coordinator pointed out.

He said one needed to find a lasting solution for the carnival organisers who still use the fort. A proposal to shift them to Crown and Horn Works Ditch, in Floriana was vetoed to make way for a park-and-ride system.

He estimated that Lm2 million was needed simply "to restore the fort to a decent state" - which includes fixing roofs that caved in and trying to repair the many crumbling walls.

Invitations have been sent to all stakeholders for a seminar which is to be held at the fort itself, under the patronage of Prof. de Marco.

Dr Bondin insisted that the workshop was not being convened simply as a discussion programme but to get the ball rolling towards a solution and, preferably, to appoint a temporary management.

In 1997, VRP published a development brief for Fort St Elmo which attracted interest from both foreign and local companies. Yet, the companies had insisted they were not willing to take on the job unless all the squatters were removed from the area.

"If we get things going, I have no doubt that there will be enough interest for a private/public partnership. Are we crazy enough not to realise the massive potential," Dr Bondin asked.