Plans to restore Mdina façades

Plans are being laid to help fund the restoration of some façades in Mdina, as part of a master plan for the historic town.

Ray Bondin, coordinator of the Mdina Rehabilitation Project (MRP), said financial assistance would be made available through the historic buildings scheme.

Speaking to The Times on the occasion of the opening of the new MRP offices at Mdina, Dr Bondin said the organisation was also about to begin the last phase of the Mdina upgrading project.

This phase consists in the laying of new pavement, and is expected to start in the coming days. The design of the paving is by architect Manwel Buttigieg.

Yesterday, Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit opened the new offices while Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg inaugurated an exhibition there on the Mdina Master Plan.

The offices are situated on the first floor of the former police station, the Torre dello Standardo. The first floor used to serve as a watchtower. The lower floor of the building is to house a tourist information office.

Dr Bondin said there were also plans to open the garden adjoining the Torre as a public garden.

The Mdina upgrading project involved the removal of overhead electricity and telephone cables and burying them underground along with other services.

Meanwhile the MRP is awaiting a decision from the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage over what should be done with Roman and Byzantine remains unearthed during the trenching works.

The Mdina Master Plan, prepared by an international team led by Tatiana Kirova from the Turin Polytechnic, will be the subject of public consultation.

In fact, an open discussion with the residents of Mdina will be held at the new MRP offices tomorrow at 5 p.m.

Dr Bondin insisted that the master plan was still in the public consultation phase and was not yet finalised. Mdina, he said, required proper and detailed planning of projects before they were executed, given the very historic nature of the old city, with medieval and baroque elements.

He said the control of traffic was expected to be a controversial issue. "It would be ideal if no traffic whatsoever were to enter Mdina but this matter will be open to discussion."

He said plans were in hand to increase the number of parking spaces outside the town.

The master plan also tackles the restoration of façades of historic buildings in Mdina and the upgrading of public areas and gardens around the town.

The exhibition, which also delves into the problems encountered during the rehabilitation process, will remain open until May 29.