The informal gardens of 19th century Villa Mekrech in Għaxaq were listed by the planning authority last week, environment group Flimkien Għal Ambjient Aħjar has said.

The group, which had been lobbying hard for protection, made the announcement yesterday morning during a press conference.

FAA’s Astrid Vella welcomed the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s decision to schedule the Għaxaq gardens of Villa Mekrech and Villino Giannini, hailing this as a “huge breakthrough”.

The villa and its formal gardens had been listed on FAA’s insistence, but the scheduling left out the area covered by an outline permit dating from 2008.

The planning authority came under harsh criticism last year after it approved a full development permit to build three blocks of flats, each two storeys high, in the land adjacent to the villa’s formal garden.

Ms Vella said the group was requesting the planning authority to investigate how a former development commission had granted the outline permit when seven out of nine clauses in a permit had been breached.

She also called for the permit to build flats to be revoked.

I don’t want it to be destroyed

Josianne Zahra, one of the four owners of the garden, welcomed the decision.

The property belonged to her grandfather, whom she had never met. She said it was important to take care of the few gardens left that formed part of Maltese heritage.

“I don’t want it to be destroyed,” she added.