Updated: Scheduling of Manikata Church welcomed

Updated - Adds Mepa statement

The Kamra tal-Periti (Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers) has welcomed the decision taken by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mep) to schedule the Church of St Joseph in Manikata as a Grade 1 property.

"Although the Kamra applauds this decision by Mepa, it is of the opinion that this decision was taken too late in the day as such scheduling should have been declared before the development permit was approved by the Environment Planning Commission on the 19th July 2011, and indeed should have been a material consideration during the processing of such application," the Chamber said.

"Furthermore it is not clear whether the grading covers just the church structure, or includes also the parvis, which will be excavated, should the development permit be brought into use."

The Chamber noted that the Mepa Chairman was quoted as saying that the 'decision by the MEPA Board, to schedule as a Grade 1 property the St Joseph Church in Manikata, wraps up more than two years of intensive research, studies and consultation carried out by MEPA's Heritage Planning Unit in the scheduling of most of Malta's Parish Churches.'

The Chamber said the question then arises - was the team responsible for the processing of the application and eventual permit not aware of MEPA's own efforts in this regard?

The Chamber said that there were many other properties that have remarkable architectural quality and which deserve to be scheduled as Grade 1 properties in similar fashion to the Manikata Church. In its publication "Modernist Malta: The Architectural Legacy" it had listed and described a number of buildings built in the mid 20th Century that symbolise the Modernist Movement in Malta.

It recalled that it had, without success campaigned against the partial demolition of the Qala primary school in 2006. However, in 2009 it was successful in halting the demolition of the Public Broadcasting Services' Rediffusion House in Guardamangia.

"Both these buildings are excellent examples of Malta's Modernist Movement architecture and, together with other structures of the time, deserve protection and retention."

MEPA: SCHEDULING INCLUDES THE PARVIS

Meanwhile, Mepa in a statement issued in the afternoon, said it was  ‘surprised’ by the statements and comments posted online by a number of professionals all based on 'incorrect' statements about the Manikata Church. The latest, it said, was that the parvis area surrounding the church in Manikata may not be included in the approved scheduling.

"Mepa can confirm that it was never contemplated nor were there every any discussions proposing that the parvis area gets left out of the scheduling. For the Authority the parvis area around the Parish Church is an integral part of the building which merited the protection." 

The Authority said that through the scheduling it is safeguarded the Manikata Church and has ensured that any future interventions that may be carried out on this site will fully respect the rich and unique architectural value of this building.

It explained that the Environment and Planning Commission last month granted planning permission for extension works to be carried out under the parvis of the already existing storage facilities. The  Commission, following the first hearing of this planning application had directed the architect to carry out a number of significant amendments from the original proposal. The approved interventions now have been restricted to within the existing footprint and beneath the parvis. The original design and appearance of the Parish church and the parvis are to be safeguarded.

Over the past weeks the Authority scheduled over 50 other parish churches. MEPA  designated as Grade 1, those Church which were built prior to the 1900s while assigning Grade 2 status to those parish churches which were built in the 20^th Century up until 1960, with a few exemptions such as the Manikata Parish Church which was scheduled as a Grade 1 20^th Century modern architecture.