Environment lobby group queries 'certain building practices'

The environmental lobby group Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar deplores the damage done to the old Tal-Grazzja chapel, in Sliema by "intensive building works taking place some feet from its walls".

It said this new case of over-development damaging the country's heritage wantonly, could have been avoided as neighbours had been warning that the excessive vibrations through the use of heavy equipment had caused damage in far newer and stronger buildings nearby.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that certain building practices being adopted by contractors are simply not suitable for built-up areas, let alone urban conservation areas. However rather than upgrading regulations, monitoring and enforcement, Mepa has starved its heritage unit of staff, leading to a lack of scheduling, although de-scheduling of protected buildings in order to demolish them continued, FAA said. And to make matters worse, new regulations have now been proposed to reduce the need of environment impact assessments (EIAs). Had an EIA been commissioned on the chapel site, the trenching and excavation works might not have been allowed so close to the chapel, while core sampling to check on the stability of the ground might have avoided the damage.

FAA said that, unfortunately, this is not a unique case of state/private neglect. "The siting of a fireworks factory near the ancient San Dimitri chapel, in Gharb is a prime example of neglect.

In spite of repeated calls for their preservation, the Punic tombs at Ras il-Wardija, along with the Roman remains at Ras il-Pellegrin and Ras ir-Raheb, will soon disappear altogether due to a combination of neglect, erosion and man-made damage, FAA said.