The three additional floors built to house judges’ chambers in Valletta were described by Din l-Art Ħelwa yesterday as a “shocking and dangerous precedent”.

The new floors, constructed above an existing building in Old Bakery Street, were slammed by the Chamber of Architects on Saturday as an eyesore that could potentially compromise the city’s Unesco World Heritage status.

The executive president of the heritage organisation Din l-Art Ħelwa, Simone Mizzi, said the structure created a precedent “to the future of permitting with regards to the heights and skyline” of Valletta.

“It is clear that, while the use of traditional materials has been respected, a judgemental mistake was made within the planning process when this permit was granted by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

“The authorities should have the courage to admit to this error and to pull the extension down, relocating the services the building was going to provide elsewhere,” she said.

She commended the chamber’s stand and said her organisation had long been advocating that a debate take place about the style and scale of new buildings planned for Valletta.

“There are no planning policies in place for high rise buildings anywhere in Malta, although these have been promised for years. Priority should be given to planning for Valletta, where slowly but surely the historic skyline is being eroded.”