'Need for more information about heritage'

The newly-appointed chairman of the Valletta, Mdina and Cottonera rehabilitation committees wants to give people more information about Malta's heritage.

The issue has not yet been discussed by the committees' seven-strong core group, which is still to meet. But Marie Louise Musumeci would, for example, like to install an interactive site map in a highly frequented area of Valletta. Visitors would be able to obtain more information simply by clicking on a particular heritage site.

"It would be good to have a map where Maltese and tourists alike can get information about the capital city," she told The Times.

Ms Musumeci - who was appointed to head the three newly-formed committees earlier this month - also wants to create more awareness about the committees' work.

"There are many people who do not know what is taking place when it comes to heritage, and we want to change that."

At the moment work is under way within the Valletta committee to finalise a master plan for the capital city, which is being drawn up by students at the University's Institute of Baroque Studies.

The main aim of the master plan is to put a stop to interventions to the capital's paving which jar with the original. Ms Musumeci said that over the years Valletta has seen a number of interventions using modern materials and sometimes even the original paving was tampered with, "which makes matters worse".

The young architect said the committees for the three historic cities have to preserve the existing heritage.

"Valletta's pavements were originally made out of lava and hardstone, but over the years some have been changed, and in some areas the modern material jars with the original. We are mapping out what needs to be done so that eventually paving work will be carried out with material that is more sympathetic with the original."

The master plan for Valletta seems to be a major job for the VRP and executive coordinator Claude Borg brings out files upon files of material collected over the past two years.

"Even if we do not carry out the work ourselves, the master plan will determine how it should be done. If the local council, or anyone else, wants to do something on a particular road, they will be able to access all the documentation telling him what materials should be used," Mr Borg, also an architect, said.

Asked whether the master plan will be legally binding, Ms Musumeci said the aim of the committee is to ensure that it is. "We are definitely going to put this high on our agenda," she said.

The three rehabilitation committees have been restructured so that a seven-strong core committee forms part of each of them. Other members, including representatives of the respective local councils, will be sitting on each committee.

The new chairman described the change as important, adding that the homogeneity should bring about better results.

"In the past, the committees worked individually, and although on a local level they worked well, the lack of communication was having an effect on a national level," she said.