What is your role within Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar?
One of my responsibilities is to monitor abusive development, usually related to urban development in urban conservation areas.
We regularly receive calls for help from communities concerned about upcoming development. Cases that come to mind are the recent Żbibu Lane development in San Ġwann or Villa Mekrech in Għaxaq. In these cases I research all the relevant policies, liaising between objectors and consultants as we empower and educate the objectors about their rights, encouraging them to stand up, be counted, and be proactive in fostering a healthy environment. We guide such groups through Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s labyrinthine procedures and support them at Mepa board sessions.
I also bring cases of land abuse to the attention of the hard-working, understaffed and unappreciated Environment Enforcement Directorate within Mepa.
Being a small, non-profit voluntary group, FAA is also understaffed – this is why we are always asking for volunteers ready to make a commitment, more so now that we have become more active in the heritage field, undertaking restorations, organising cultural walks and talks and running heritage website www.culturalmalta.org
The latest census figures show a significant number of dwellings in Malta are vacant. Can we afford to build more?
Considering that empty residential units are valued at an average of €100,000, we are talking of a considerable amount of dead stock. The best way forward would be for developers to refurbish vacant apartments and place these on the market. The previous government was also looking into ways to demolish and rebuild substandard apartment blocks.
This should not mean a carte blanche to allow buildings of historical value, like the ones flanking Naxxar parish church, or buildings within urban conservation areas, to be demolished and replaced with modern accommodation. Neither would we encourage the destruction of old villas or their gardens to make way for new development. We strongly appeal that Mepa regulations are enforced to prevent owners of old houses or palazzi from allowing these to deteriorate, especially since government restoration grants are now available.
We maintain that even if the industry’s argument that recent stabilising of prices for apartments is due to the increase in quality apartments is correct, the building of new and better designed residential units will not dispose of the 72,000 empty units. In the unlikely event that the few thousand high-quality apartments built each year are sold and inhabited, the issue of 72,000 vacant units will still exist.
Developers should diversify into the restoration of urban conservation properties for which there is a strong demand.
What are the economic implications of further development?
The International Monetary Fund, the EU and our own Central Bank have all warned of the risks of Malta’s banking system being over-dependent on the building sector, especially during a slump which has caused the rate of local defaulting loans to creep up from five to seven per cent. Since a property glut causes property prices to fall, many properties which are held as hypothec or granted loans have dropped in value since the original bank transaction – this is a source of concern for banks. Let us dispel the idea that only developers bear the risks of over-development – the health of our economy affects us all.
How does over-development affect our quality of life?
When unrestrained development is allowed, we create unhealthy environments. Tall buildings in narrow Maltese streets trap toxic car emissions which contribute to cardiovascular disease – the main cause of death in Malta – as well as cancer and respiratory diseases of which we have high rates. According to the World Health Organisation, our environment is responsible for some 14 per cent of disease.
In focusing uniquely on the physical aspects of the building, and overlooking the environment, the aim of development is solely to make a quick buck, forgetting social responsibility.
At Mepa sessions, the emphasis is not on the spatial benefits to the people living in the development or the existing neighbourhood, but is all about numbers and building by slide rule where the human element is only an afterthought. When we build environments that lack green spaces, neglect to provide safe mobility for people, especially the elderly, cycle lanes, and green spaces where children can play and adults relax, we are creating spaces that propagate diseases. Treating these diseases comes at a high cost to the taxpayer.
There is a growing acknowledgement that the way forward in dealing with cardiovascular, respiratory and obesity problems is not to treat these conditions but to create environments that help prevent them.
A UK 2002 study has shown that it costs some €17,288 in medication over five years to prevent a heart attack in one individual. On the other hand, creating the urban space for mobility and daily exercise can reduce the incidence of a heart attack, and stroke and diabetes by 50 per cent, colon and breast cancer by 30 per cent.
There is also the fact that lack of space and sunlight, combined with noise and air pollution, increases rates of mental illness.
If property development had to slow down, would this have a negative effect on economy and employment?
Let us not forget that the restoration of a large number of vacant properties would provide sustainable employment and development to keep the industry going for some years. Moreover restoration is more labour-intensive than new buildings and depends on the local workforce rather than cheap foreign labour.
Success depends all on the imagination, aspiration, skills and courage of individuals. Some developers already have diversified, which means that others can.
What is your take on land reclamation?
Our stand is that we shouldn’t even consider this, especially when an unbiased study commissioned by Mepa concluded that land reclamation is neither financially viable nor environment-friendly as it would destroy large tracts of EU-protected posidonia meadows and various protected species, some of which are within Natura 2000 site.
I am a diving instructor with over 32 years’ experience and some 12,000 dives around Malta – therefore I have first-hand experience of the damage of depositing inert matter in the sea. I am very much aware that the residual damage from the Portomaso project is still to be found across the bay around Exiles. Similarly, plumes of silt still reduce visibility and cover the Sliema seabed with dust from debris dropped at sea outside the Grand Harbour.
Let us dispel the idea that only developers bear the risks of over-development
Such projects put our fisheries and scuba diving tourism, rated as the third best in the world, at risk. Diving tourism caters for some four per cent of the total arrivals and generates some 12 per cent of direct and indirect tourism revenue like car hire, hotels, self-catering accommodation, restaurants and bars.
Our sea is too rich and unique to risk damaging it. We do not have the conditions to implement these projects safely and successfully, especially when considering that overseas reclamation projects carried out in far shallower waters and more favourable conditions are facing considerable problems.
FAA is very much involved in Mepa public consultations – how effective have these interventions been in the past years?
When I first took over this job I was amazed at how often we seem to go wrong in spite of having many positive and well-intentioned policies in place. Having said that, FAA has had significant successes.
Since we set up in 2006, FAA has established a positive track record in saving sites for future generations, beginning with Birżebbuġa’s Tal-Papa farm, an oasis of rare endemic plants and protected fauna dating back to the 16th century, which has been protected through FAA’s intervention. We have similarly ensured the protection of St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Palazz ta’ Rohan in Balzan, Ta’ Ħaġrat temple in Mġarr, Villa Bologna in Attard, Villa Mekrech and other baroque gardens in Għaxaq, the art deco house in Sliema, Balluta Square and many urban and rural heritage sites. FAA’s campaigning has also saved the Ramla l-Ħamra hillside, Balluta valley and Mellieħa’s scheduled watercourse from being built up, as well as streetscapes in Mosta, Sliema, Senglea and Gozo.
However I think it would be an injustice not to mention the smaller, silent battles that have been fought, where we supported communities which had the courage to stand up and be counted. It would also be unfair not to praise those silent heroes who quietly bring to our attention irregularities or injustices that they may witness or experience. The main achievement is however in gradually changing attitudes and making people aware that they have a right to a healthy environment.
What is the role of the FAA trees section?
The tree group was set up in response to the irresponsible tree butchering that was being passed off as pruning. There was also a very serious concern for the countless trees that were being removed from our streets and urban environments due to the irresponsible attitudes taken by various ministries. The lack of understanding of the aesthetic value, health benefits and monetary contribution of trees to the community was beyond belief. Fortunately, as one of the results of our pressure through an online petition in which we collected over 3,000 signatures, Mepa ran a tree pruning course at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, which was oversubscribed and very helpful.
As further proof of the change we have brought about, it is refreshing to hear ministers talk about the importance of protecting trees and their role in preventing disease, while Transport Malta is changing its policies in order to accommodate trees. We are hoping to see the new tree protection legislation materialise fast. We would like to see that trees on building sites are maintained along with trees within the periphery of a building site. We would like to see the Environment Ministry offering education grants to train tree surgeons and arborists as these are important for the implementation of any tree management policy.
The main role of our group is to educate and to this end we speak on radio programmes and give lectures to communities regarding indigenous trees and how these fit within an urban landscape.
What are the main benefits of trees in urban areas?
The benefits of trees go far beyond their aesthetic value. They help create a healthy environment, provide oxygen, create a safe traffic environment, give a sense of place, encourage socialisation and mitigate cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Children playing among trees tend to have a higher imagination, as trees foster a sense of curiosity. Trees also provide practical development and environmental benefits: shading cools buildings in summer, reducing the need for air conditioning, while in winter tree canopies slow down winds, reducing the amount of heat lost from a home.
It has been calculated that the monetary benefits of a single oleander tree with a 20-inch trunk in a specific environment and within a multi-family residential complex will give an annual overall benefit of €47, will intercept around 5,000 litres of storm water run-off and will reduce atmospheric carbon by 98 kilograms. We stand to gain many positives with a better understanding of what trees can do for us.
For more information visit www.culturalmalta.org and www.faa.org.mt.