Government decides to seek EU funding for Fort St Elmo

The government has decided to set the ball rolling and apply for EU funding for Fort St Elmo, which is in the public eye due to its long-standing sorry state of neglect.

Talks are in progress to determine whether the project would be eligible under the Structural Funds for tourism or for urban regeneration.

The Planning and Priorities Co-ordination Division had said that about €30 million were still available under Priority Axis 2 for tourism-related projects and a "substantial amount of millions (of euros)" under Priority Axis 6 for urban regeneration.

Another 25 per cent would have to be forked out by the government as the EU only funded 75 per cent of a project, meaning that if the remaining €30 million were allocated to Fort St Elmo an additional €7 million would be poured into the project.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism told The Sunday Times he would consider submitting a tourism-related project for the fort under the remaining EU Structural Funds if the Grand Harbour Regeneration Project did not manage to attract the right private investment that would allow for the rehabilitation of St Elmo.

However, government sources said the Grand Harbour Regeneration Project was not an issue. It involved several elements, which could be dealt with separately.

Since the spotlight was recently shone on Fort St Elmo, several interested parties have voiced their opinions.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Government Revenues and Land, Jason Azzopardi, is working on enforcement, security issues and the eviction of squatters, one of the next and vital steps to start working on the rehabilitation of the fort.

Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando also entered the fray, calling on the government to divert EU funds, allocated for the "extravagant" underground extension of the St John's Co-Cathedral museum, to the urgent restoration of Forts St Elmo and St Angelo.

Former Labour Party general secretary Jimmy Magro recently proposed the setting up of a foundation to work towards saving St Elmo.