AD's accusations on Hamrun site 'unfounded'

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has called on the National Audit Office to review its original conclusions on the excavation of a plot in St Joseph High Road in Hamrun, under which lies a wartime shelter.

MEPA also urged the public to stop wasting the authorities' time because of unnecessary bickering.

In a statement MEPA said that recent comments made in the press by the neighbours - the Galea Vincenti Zarb family - and by Alternattiva Demokratika on a development need to be put in perspective.

MEPA said it was hardly fair to say that it did its utmost to accommodate the applicant and give the heritage aspect only marginal importance. It was the first entity to schedule a World War II shelter in 1994 and is furthering its efforts to afford adequate sustainable conservation to such heritage.

The investigations were originally carried out by audit officers following e-mails from Mark Anthony Mifsud on behalf of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, and Mark Causon on AD's behalf.

The report states that Mr Mifsud "...expresses his concerns on the approval of application PA 5495/02" while Mr Causon "...had objected to the manner in which the DCC is not giving due weight to the recommendations submitted by MEPA's professional staff".

MEPA pointed out that in a letter by Mr Mifsud addressed to it dated September 20 he wrote: "Following an on-site meeting earlier today, and following the perusal of plans received, it appears that the plans approved by the DCC take account of the concerns expressed by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage."

It is therefore evident that the superintendence, having inspected the site and investigated the details of the permit, by this date, the original complainant to the audit officer had changed his opinion and dropped his objection to the development.

Turning to Mr Causon's objections, the statement explained that MEPA's professional staff had stated in the reconsideration report submitted to the DCC: "With regards to these archaeological features, the IHM section within MEPA recommends that the proposal can be altered in such a way that the applicant is able to construct a store and that the conservation of the heritage feature is not compromised."

MEPA pointed out that very detailed monitoring reports, including photographs of the different stages, are required to be kept in these cases. The file relating to this particular case will be made available to the media and the public.

Anyone genuinely interested in the site's protection, as Dr Galea Vincenti Zarb and AD purported to be, will be more than welcome to examine documents and immediately realise that their accusations were gratuitous and unfounded.

MEPA said that this is unfortunately a clear case of conflict between neighbours in which both the authorities and the media are used and abused. In this particular case, MEPA has been targeted for allegedly being ineffectual and insensitive towards our cultural heritage by Mr Causon and Dr Galea Vincenti Zarb, against whom enforcement for illegalities connected to heritage have been issued.

Mr Causon's enforcement notice (ECF 718/03) was issued after illegal excavations were carried out without a permit in a scheduled, archaeologically sensitive area. Following Mr Causon's application (PA 7378/03) to sanction the illegalities, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage said: "Following site inspection... they noted that unauthorised excavation within the garden has already revealed large blocks and classical pottery, confirming the archaeological sensitivity of the area.

"The superintendence therefore objected to the swimming pool, noting that they should be given adequate time and opportunity to record the archaeology, before the garden soil is replaced."

The site was eventually reburied before the SCH was given the opportunity to record the site adequately. MEPA has evidence that a lot of the excavated material contained valuable remains and that this was lost to posterity after being carted away from the site.

Dr Galea Vincenti Zarb was served with enforcement notice ECF 721/03 after a wooden balcony in an urban conservation area was replaced with an aluminium one without the necessary permits. Such a development is not normally permitted in this area of constraint. According to MEPA's records, no appeal from the enforcement was made in the legal timeframes. Until now no application to sanction these illegalities was submitted. The file was referred for direct action on June 17 and is awaiting prioritisation.