Pressure to protect Bahrija

Nineteen organisations have kept up the pressure for the protection of the Bahrija area from speculation, saying they are still awaiting a full commitment by the government to declare the area from Il-Qlejgha tal-Bahrija to Gnejna as part of the common heritage and to prepare management plans for the areas as requested by EU obligations for protected sites.

The organisations have also called on the government to declare the coast, including the cliffs as public property and to enact Structure Plan Policy CZM 03, which stipulates that "public access around the coastline immediately adjacent to the sea or at the top of cliffs (including in bays, harbours and creeks) will be secured. This will include taking shorelands into public ownership."

The organisations are Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust, Friends of the Earth Malta, Ceratonia, Pembroke Residents Association, Grupp Arkeologiku Malti, Din l-Art Helwa, Malta Organic Agriculture Movement, Ramblers Association of Malta, Dripht, Zminijietna, GAIA Foundation, The Archaeological Society Malta, Inizjamed, Save Wied Garnaw Action Group, Siggiewi Action Group for the Environment, BICREF, BirdLife Malta, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna together with Alternattiva Demokratika and the Mayor of Rabat Local Council.

They said they concurred with a statement by the Minister for the Environment, George Pullicino, concerning Bahrija and Fomm ir-Rih# where it was stated that, "we owe it to ourselves and to future generations to keep this area as open countryside".

The organisations said that when contacted, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) informed the group that it was seriously concerned about the speculation at Bahrija and was closely monitoring developments.

The Cultural Heritage Act 2002 specifically promotes access to cultural heritage, including cultural landscapes. The law speaks of the duty to make heritage accessible not only for research but also for public enjoyment.

The groups said that the SCH would take a stand against development in the area, although it intervened to stop sale of land.

They said the area in question should be afforded the fullest protection possible. Scheduling of the area has already been made by MEPA, which means it is protected under the Development Planning Act and the Cultural Heritage Act 2002.

The SCH told the group that it would, therefore, intervene along with MEPA in case of illegal development.

All applications for development on scheduled sites have to be approved by the SCH first, according to the Cultural Heritage Act.