'Churches of the Knights still not scheduled'

Churches built by the Knights in Malta and Gozo were still not scheduled, opposition spokesman on planning and housing Roderick Galdes told Parliament yesterday.

Speaking during the debate in second reading of the Land Acquisitions (Public Purposes) Ordinance (Amendment) Bill, Mr Galdes said that Mepa needed to give maximum protection to these churches to avoid abuses.

There were circumstances where physical interventions had already damaged the historical aspect of these properties.

Unfortunately, even the government itself did not acknowledge the historical aspect of certain property.

The scheduling of historical buildings was a continuous process, but the process in Malta was still in its infancy. Malta needed to take firm action to legally protect the abundance of historical sites, even if resources were lacking. This was a lengthy and bureaucratic process which needed research and the collection of data.

In the reform process, the government must also see that sufficient resources be given to Mepa to ensure the implementation of the scheduling process. Contrary to what was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg last Wednesday, even PN governments had resorted to expropriation of property. Many a time, however, expropriation had been given a political face.

Any injustice carried out by the expropriating authority had been exacerbated by the failure of the present government to provide the private owners with fair compensation. Although the need to expropriate property had decreased, this still existed and the law must ensure adequate methods to provide fair compensation.

Mr Galdes said the Bill was premature, adding that the historical sites which were already in government possession were in a dilapidated state. In particular, Fort St Angelo and Fort Ricasoli had been left to deteriorate.

The definition of public purpose had been widened to such an extent that it could lead to abuse, and Mr Galdes proposed that protection to counter this be provided.

There was a lack of agreement on what constituted cultural heritage, especially in relation to buildings developed by the British.

He criticised the way in which the level of scheduling for Villa de Fremeaux in Żejtun had been reduced, thereby permitting its demolition. The same could be said for the development of the visitors' centre close to the Ħagar Qim temples, despite experts' advice to the contrary.

Mr Galdes also referred to what he called "the ruin of Valletta" through the development of penthouses, leading Unesco to consider reducing the rating of Valletta as a world heritage site.

He had long maintained that remains of the old opera house were part of the Maltese cultural heritage, but this had been acknowledged only on Renzo Piano's advice.

Mr Galdes proposed the introduction of a "state of heritage report" that would list properties of a cultural heritage value and the state they were in, indicating which properties required urgent maintenance and conservation.