Conservation order for Manikata church (2)

It’s welcome news that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority has approved the scheduling of the church of St Joseph in Manikata as a Grade 1 property. The scheduling declaration includes the church building envelope and the parvis.

The scheduling declaration implies that “alterations which impair the setting or change the external or internal appearance, including anything contained within the curtilage of the building, will not be allowed. Any interventions allowed must be directed to their scientific restoration and rehabilitation. Internal structural alterations will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances where this is paramount for reasons of keeping the building in active use”.

Mepa seems to justify the permitted development that includes storage facilities and a catechesis hall under the parvis (including three skylights) by ‘’restricting this to within the existing footprint and not impacting the original design and appearance of the church”.

This contradicts the provisions of the scheduling status because a massive excavation under the parvis to create the new spaces will surely have a major impact on the internal appearance of the building complex.

Good architecture is not solely judged by the external appearance of the building as Mepa seems to imply.

I cannot understand how, in the two years of intensive research by the Heritage Planning Unit of Mepa regarding the scheduling of most of Malta’s parish churches, the development control unit processing the application and the environmental planning commission were not informed of the likelihood of the scheduling of the Manikata church.

In my opinion, Mepa should issue a conservation order requiring the illegal works already carried out to be removed (rather than justifying this with the imposition of a fine) and prohibiting further works within the site.