Renzo Piano’s idea to relocate the Triton Fountain next to the Air Force monument is “artistic blasphemy”, according to Floriana mayor Nigel Holland.

Mr Holland lashed out at the Infrastrucutre Ministry’s “arrogant approach”, accusing it of repeatedly taking decisions about City Gate and the bus terminus project without consulting the Floriana council.

He was reacting to the news that the landmark fountain would be moved from the present bus terminus to make way for a piazza outside the new City Gate.

The move is of only a few metres but it means the fountain, now in Valletta, would land within Floriana’s boundary.

In his announcement of the project last week, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said the area around the current bus terminus would receive a €4 million facelift to become a pedestrian-only zone, without Vincent Apap’s iconic fountain.

“This is an unnecessary project, and money should not be wasted on musical chairs with monuments,” he said, referring to another monument of Grandmaster Manoel de Vilhena which was shifted four times around Floriana.

Moving this Maltese landmark might cause damage to the structure and would also destroy the artistic line created by the Triton Fountain, Christ the King and Independence monuments, he added.

Mr Holland questioned the artistic reasoning this move was founded on. He called on the government to be more transparent about Mr Piano’s plan and additional developments.

The council, he said, had been approached by several people to take action on the move, adding that councillors would meet in the coming days to discuss “national action” against the plans.

The mayor called on the planning authority to shoulder its responsibilities even with government projects, insisting that he also expected non-governmental organisations to speak up.

The mayor added that the government should find a solution to the eyesore which had been created by the MCP car park.