Fort St Angelo repairs still at planning stage

A planning application for repair works on Fort St Angelo's deteriorating stonework was only submitted at the beginning of this month after Heritage Malta blocked access to the fort for safety reasons in July.

Architects have installed small sheets of glass across the dangerous cracks that have appeared in the stonework, advising anybody inside the fort to evacuate if the glass breaks.

A spokesman for Heritage Malta said the agency drew up a comprehensive status report, which listed the requirements to "render the area safe and accessible to the public".

"A development application to repair the access ramp and the damaged sally port, restore the main gate and reconstruct the vaulted entrance was submitted to Mepa earlier this month together with a restoration method statement," he added.

However, the submission of the application was no cause for amusement for one heritage expert, who lamented the state of neglect the fortification was left in.

The head of Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, Mario Farrugia described the interventions on Malta's fortifications as "cosmetic". "It makes no sense to allow the fortifications to deteriorate and then carry out repair works afterwards. It is a disgrace for the country to have Fort St Angelo, the oldest fort pre-dating the Knights, in such a state," he said.

While other countries were discussing the impact of climate change on fortifications, he said, Maltese heritage authorities were only performing patchwork.

The biggest problem lies with the fort's main entrance. The walls alongside the covered ramp leading to the bottom part of the fort have developed serious fissures, possibly caused by the rusting beams put there by the British after the arched entrance was bombed during World War II.

Heritage Malta became responsible for Fort St Angelo in August 2007.

A security guard was detailed on a 24-hour basis, the spokesman said, so as to stop the dumping of waste material and prevent vandalism. "Vehicular access has been limited to the personal car of the resident Knight of the Order of St John in order to minimise the risk of further destabilisation," he added.

Vittoriosa mayor John Boxall had lamented the fort's closure, insisting that a long-term solution had to be found. "I expect the worst to happen in the winter months when the rains set in," Mr Boxall said.

Part of a bastion wall in Floriana collapsed last week, possibly because of the heavy downpour that could have expanded the earthenware behind the stone skin, causing pressure on the outer wall.