The Marsascala local council has called for urgent action to save the 300-year-old Riħama coastal battery from neglect and vandalism.
Located on the southern end of St Thomas Bay, the small Riħama Battery was one of the original group of coastal fortifications built by the Knights of St John between 1714 and 1716 but has long since fallen into decay.
Weathering and erosion have caused extensive structural damage, with large parts of the battery crumbling away into the sea while doors and fixtures have been torn off by vandals.
In a motion presented by councillor Charlot Cassar and passed unanimously on Thursday, the Marsascala council said the present state of the building was a
danger to the public and was rapidly degenerating further due to bad weather and vandalism.
It called for a combined effort by the Culture Ministry, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and Heritage Malta for the “priceless” historic building to be
restored and regenerated as a potential source of sustainable tourism in the Marsascala area.
The fate of the Riħama Battery has attracted public attention before but previous efforts to preserve its heritage have largely stalled.
A number of clean-ups and open days were held to raise awareness and the local council, together with the NGO Għaqda Bajja San Tumas, formally requested the devolution of the historic site three years ago.
The request, however, failed to get the necessary government authorisation and was ultimately not pursued further.
The Times of Malta is informed that the council has now written to the Local Government Department requesting that the site is sealed to public access to prevent further damage by vandals until a more permanent solution can be found.
The battery was originally one of two found on opposite ends of St Thomas Bay
The battery was originally one of two found on opposite ends of St Thomas Bay but only the traces of the second, the Maħsel Battery, remain today.
According to research carried out by military historian Stephen Spiteri, the Riħama Battery only saw use once, during the French invasion of Malta in 1798.
It was decommissioned by the British in the early 1830s and handed to the civil government, used initially as a seaside residence and later as a soap factory
and slaughterhouse.
Some alterations were made to the blockhouse in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including the construction of an annex. The battery was leased until about 1979, when it was abandoned.