On the issue of Villino Giannin, Għaxaq, John Paris (‘FAA misleading the public’, April 12) believes that ‘throw enough mud, some will stick’, that is, if enough false accusations are made, reputations will suffer, whether or not this is deserved.
He is twisting words and misquoting. I never wrote that the features in his Baroque garden are to be destroyed. I wrote: “It is shameful that [his architect] failed to mention the unique features of this house and garden in his submissions. Instead, the owners are claiming that the garden is only an abandoned field. Since when do fields include large ornamental ponds, statues and old colonnades?”
The fact that the scheduling occurred after the outline permit was granted on appeal does not mean the scheduling is invalid, simply that the 2005 SHC scheduling request took eight years to approve. Three Planning Authority boards recommended refusal of the permit.
Again, Paris gives a half-truth in saying that the heritage planning unit states that some development can be considered if guidelines are followed. Green enclave guidelines lay down that any development must “not compromise the openness of the enclave… should be minimal and in no case exceed 15 per cent of the total soil and planted area”. This is not reflected in the plans.
Once the garden is partially built, developers can apply to build further, using the first permit and the fact that the original baroque garden no longer exists as justification.
The venue for FAA’s press conference was not chosen to misguide the public but to show what the Palazzo Giannin garden could look like if restored. FAA did not claim that Palazzo Giannin is in the Għaxaq UCA - its very location surrounded by buildings is what gave it the legal Planning Authority designation as a green enclave.
Some developers struggle to accept that NGOs have a right to speak up to save Malta’s heritage. Nobody is saying Paris should not commercialise his property; top-quality tourists are spending lavishly to stay in boutique hotels all over Malta. With the availability of restoration funding, there are options other than ruining the beauty and historic value of this garden by building three blocks of flats there. His ancestors would be proud to see their cherished home restored as a boutique hotel for upmarket tourists who would pay handsomely to enjoy such a garden.