Mtarfa archaeological remains

I refer to reports in The Times (January 19, 23) regarding housing at Mtarfa, shelters and archaeological remains.

Neither Mepa's National Protective Inventory nor the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage had any information about any cultural heritage features beneath the soil and trees within the site and none were visible before the works commenced as permitted for PA 2161/00. The features encountered included two early 20th century underground complexes; probably storage areas, and a Punic tomb.

None of the features are mentioned in the Museum annual reports, or any other literature. Therefore, Mepa was not in a position to consult the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage given that there was no information about any cultural features within the application site. In fact, the works were accidentally encountered in April 2005 during site clearance works and rock excavations. As soon as Mepa was informed about the accidental discovery, its officers inspected the site and a record of the features was made.

Mepa and the SCH carried out an assessment and evaluation of the heritage features and asked the Housing Authority to modify the approved plans to conserve the cultural heritage features and allow access to same. The Housing Authority complied and the previously approved plans were amended as requested and subsequently approved by permit PA8100/05.

To ensure the protection of the newly-discovered features Mepa made a number of conditions in the new permit (PA 8100/05), which included:

Proposed landscaping should be included as a reserved matter to include archaeological features, including those that will be discovered in due course.

Standard monitoring conditions on archaeology to safeguard features noted by the SCH.

Bank guarantee of Lm25,000 was requested. This covers adherence to standard monitoring conditions; submission of a detailed landscaping plan, integrating all archaeological features (to be approved by Mepa) and the implementation of a landscaping plan.

It is worth noting that the objections made during the previous applications never mentioned the archaeological remains, tombs or shelters within the site, obviously, as they were not visible nor mentioned in any literature. The objections centered on the decreased recreational space at Mtarfa and about the trees within the site, and recommended that no further housing units should be built until all the ex-British Services buildings at Mtarfa are utilised.