UPDATED: FAA keeps up the pressure on St John's Foundation application

(Adds reaction by St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation)

Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) is urging those who object to the proposed development on the grounds of St John's Co-Cathedral to email the Planning Authority.

Kenneth Borg, a spokesman for the FAA said the volume of emails objecting to the planning applications to extend St. John's museum has caused MEPA's Website Inbox to jam. "We urge those whose objections bounced back to try again now that the jam is cleared," he said.

The FAA said is appeared that MEPA was not in favour of the massive excavations proposed for St. John's Street and Square, due to the risk to the Cathedral's foundations. MEPA was, however, prepared to consider the St. John's Foundation application to cover over the St. John's courtyard on Merchants' Street with a transparent ceiling and dome to serve as a visitors' centre, shop and ticketing booths. On the first floor, the plans show a room to be built along Merchants' Street, extending the covered passage outwards towards the graveyard of the Knights.

"FAA reiterates that these developments would violate the clauses of its National Monument Grade I scheduling as well as causing irremediable damage to Valletta's underground chambers, tunnels, channels and water cisterns which should be mapped out, studied and preserved, and not damaged and exploited," the NGO said.

"Feasible alternatives exist for the extension of the required museum space such as the acquisition of a nearby palazzo which can be restored and used as an extension to the St John's museum. This option would not only serve to restore the building and enrich Valletta but has the added advantage of relieving St John's Co-Cathedral of the heavy influx of visitors, allowing the Foundation to accept more visitors and increase its earnings."

Astrid Vella, FAA coordinator, said people could log on to www.ambjentahjar.org and their objections to the project would be automatically transmitted to MEPA.

St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation in a reaction to the FAA statement, said it is asking MEPA, as the responsible Authority, to provide the terms of reference for an Environment Impact Assessment on the proposed new museum that would include any potential risks to the Co-Cathedral.

“As already made clear, the Foundation, will not take any decision that in any way endangers the fabric of the Co-Cathedral or that is not conducive to the enrichment of Malta’s cultural and religious heritage. The Foundation has similarly made it clear that it would appreciate any constructive advice regarding the new museum.”

The foundation said no “other feasible and simple alternatives exist” to house many of the treasures that St John’s possesses.

“Currently in total or partial storage at the Co-Cathedral is a unique complete set of 29 tapestries (the largest set of tapestries based on Rubens’ cartoons in the world), the exceptional Cappella Ardente, as well as collections of liturgical vestments. These collections require approximately 2,000 square metres space to be displayed professionally while an additional area of about 800 metres is required for storage and utility services.”

The foundation said it was confident that the MEPA process will ensure that its proposed museum would conform to the highest standards respecting all existing laws and regulations.