Act now over Strait Street

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s decision to grant permission for the construction of extra floors on an existing building in Strait Street in Valletta is misplaced.

Valletta’s Unesco status is being threatened by the encroachment of the city’s supposedly-protected skyline- Duncan Mifsud

At this point in time I believe that most readers are aware of the debate between the Chamber of Architects, Flimkien Ġħal Ambjent Aħjar, Din L-Art Ħelwa, and the general public on one hand, and the government through Mepa on the other, over the ill-conceived government project in Strait Street.

As an architect and ardent patriot of our capital city, I am deeply concerned about this unwarranted plan by Mepa to join two adjacent houses in Strait Street and raise it to eight floors so as to house the chambers of judiciary and a drugs court.

The status of Valletta as a monumental capital city is threatened by this kind of development. It is common knowledge to all that Valletta has not only been designated as an urban conversation area but also as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

This status is now being threatened by the encroachment of the city’s supposedly-protected skyline in the form of mushrooming extra floors on a number of buildings as well as other unsightly additions viewable from across the harbour.

The continued development of multi-storey buildings that alter the classified skyline of the capital city like the one between Old Bakery and Strait streets further spells doom for the prospect of the city earning prestigious recognition as the European capital of culture (ECOC) in 2018.

Losing out on this award means also losing out on the opportunity for the city to hold a string of cultural events that would leave a long-term cultural legacy.

Needless to say, this is not good for a city that prides itself as a cultural hub in the region as well as globally.

This is something that Mepa, as the national authority responsible for regularising development in our country, cannot be allowed to do.

It is evident that there is a conflict of interest within government because it is well known that it has committed significant financial resources to the culture sector despite the current difficult economic times so as to win the bid for ECOC, while it continues to shoot itself in the foot with such a construction.

In addition, the extension on the Strait Street building totally disregards the narrow width of the road below it.

This does more harm than good because it contributes substantially to the already existing headache of traffic congestion in the city. The street itself needs some clearance to facilitate the easy flow of traffic and people.

To this end, there is no doubt that the skyline of the capital city needs to be preserved if its prestige is to be maintained and improved further.

There is need for the authorities to strike a reasonable balance between old and new, where there can be better use of roofs while preserving the skyline.

Adding extra floors to buildings is not the way to go. It is high time that a debate regarding the style and scale of new buildings in Valletta was held.

We can no longer continue with the sorry state of affairs whereby there are no planning policies setting a height limitations for buildings in Valletta. Mepa has to act fast to remedy the situation – either by downsizing the project or dismantling it completely.

Mr Mifsud is an architect.