The last two weeks have seen three very important calls for a quantum leap in planning. Mepa’s new policy document, DC 2014, proposes a virtual revolution in the assessment of new applications in order to ensure that new buildings harmonise with their surroundings in design and form – the elements that make or break a streetscape.

I quote: “Every design project cannot be created and assessed in isolation but must be seen in the totality of its immediate context… the street. Streets are not only transient places – they are important social places and their success is in turn vital to the success of the overall workings of an urban settlement.”

What a change from the present attitude, where calls to save a heritage streetscape are quashed by the standard reply of “each case is to be treated on its own merit” – i.e. Mepa boards are authorised to ignore the surroundings.

At the Gieħ ir-Repubblika ceremony, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca dedicated much of her speech to the problems caused by our confined environments, focusing on the psychological impact of our congested streets. The President is acutely aware that Malta’s lack of open spaces contributes to mental health problems, obesity and diabetes.

Finally Alfred Pisani, Corinthia chairman, called for a move away from mass market towards quality tourism. This goes far beyond providing five-star facilities inside hotels, for upmarket hotels do not thrive in isolation. The most successful holiday destinations base their success on selling the unique characteristics of their country, not doing their best to destroy the very element that attracts cultural and upmarket tourists.

In spite of all this, Mepa is still rushing headlong into permitting the destruction of Malta’s remaining heritage and urban spaces before the new regulations are introduced.

Now that Sliema’s beautiful grand seafront houses have all been destroyed, speculators are turning to the characteristic inner streets. Two identical cases of old townhouses in Sliema and St Julian’s are currently being processed by Mepa.

The two Sliema houses were protected while they were included in the Urban Conservation Area in the 2000 Draft Local Plans. So why was the border of the conservation area shifted to exclude these Isouard Street houses in 2006?

The beautiful, harmonious facades of Isouard Street are to be demolished to add to Malta’s 40,000 empty flats and appease a powerful developer

Few people realise that the Environment Minister of the time had the legal right to change the 2006 Local Plans after they were prepared by Mepa.

Objections that the demolition of these facades violated every norm of Mepa’s new Design Guidelines were dismissed by the Mepa board on the grounds that that these regulations “are not yet ratified”.

As a result, the beautiful, harmonious facades of Isouard Street, designated as a street “of specific conservation importance” and facing a protected “landmark building” are to be demolished in order to add to Malta’s 40,000 empty flats and appease a powerful developer.

Will Mepa similarly condemn the Lapsi Street houses in St Julian’s, destroying wells, ancient rubble walls and more of St Julian’s wonderful old streetscapes?

Finally, the Pjazzetta ex-Naval Clinic, one of Sliema’s few surviving grand houses, is to face the Mepa Board this week. In its recommendation to approve the redevelopment of this site, Mepa is not holding the developers responsible for their illegal demolition of this scheduled building.

The proposed building is yet another massively disproportionate building to be foisted on the residents of Sliema.

Similar to the Gasan building across from the former ‘Chalet’, dubbed a carbuncle by many including architects, this application completely destroys the lines and harmony of the original building.

The excavation of an underground carpark will also destroy a large, historic public wartime shelter, with the misleading claim that it is an “underground corridor”.

The issues relating to this project include the filling of the open space with a raised ground floor and a ‘kiosk’ in an area already full of kiosks and restaurants. The increase in flats, offices and shops will significantly add to the air pollution choking residents, but Transport Malta has taken its usual attitude that the situation is already so bad that it approves its further deterioration.

To top it all, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage dubs this overdevelopment that destroys heritage, blocks light and air and increases air pollution, as “positive public gain on the urban environment” – gain for whom, one asks, other than the developer?

Mepa and Transport Malta officials find it convenient to ignore the fact they are personally responsible for the increases in asthma, cancer, coronary disease, pre-natal problems and dementia that overdevelopment and air pollution bring.

No doubt they salve their consciences with the fact that they are obeying orders. Now where have I heard that one before?

Astrid Vella is the coordinator at Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar.