Unauthorised works have been carried out on the unique historic structure of the Valletta Covered Market, a Grade 1 Scheduled building in the centre of the city, Din l-Art Ħelwa said.

It said in a statement that a cantilevered concrete balcony was constructed projecting onto St Paul Street, severely impacting the aesthetic and architectural values of both the building and the fine aesthetics of St Paul Street.

“Din l-Art Ħelwa is disappointed that such insensitivity was allowed to mar the project, which was a welcome and long overdue rehabilitation of the Valletta Covered Market. These works seem to have been carried out without Planning Authority authorisation.”

Din l-Art Ħelwa said it was very concerned by the piecemeal manner in which planning permission for this intervention had been sought. And it appeared that works on the projecting concrete balcony were undertaken even before they were authorised. Although the works took place in full public view, the organisation said, no enforcement action appeared to have been taken to date.

“This projecting cantilever is aesthetically a disastrous addition to the back elevation. It projects significantly into St Paul Street at a low level creating a hazard for vehicles.

“It also impacts the fine aesthetics of St Paul’s Church which was designed with gentle protruding mouldings to capture the shadows created by the sun when it permeates this street.

“Adding a cantilever to the back of the unique market building designed by Hector Zimelli and Emanuele Luigi Galizia between 1859 and 1861, eliminates the access at ground floor from St Paul Street and illustrates the lack of sensitivity and understanding of how this building interacted with it,” Din l-Art Ħelwa said.

It said that such manoeuvres were making a mockery of the planning process, and subverted the letter and the spirit of Malta's planning legislation.

This was even graver when such a slipshod and cavalier approach was witnessed on a major Grade 1 historic building, which also happened to be public property, and which had been severely impacted as a result.

Din l-Art Ħelwa said it reported the illegal works to the authorities and called on the developers to rectify the plans “for this insensitive protrusion in full respect of the aesthetics of this historic building”.