I refer to the various letters in The Sunday Times in reaction to Giovanni Bonello’s article entitled ‘Let’s Hide the Majestic Bastions’.

I am fully in agreement with Bonello on this subject. Some years back I wrote an article in The Times on the subject of trees in the capital city. I quoted from a memorandum of the British Woodland Trust on the role of green spaces in rendering urban living more attractive. The Trust, although fully supportive of the drive for green spaces in urban areas, was at the same cautious and advised that trees in urban areas need to be selected with care and managed appropriately.

In Malta, unfortunately, the question of tree planting in urban areas, especially in Valletta, the Three Cities, and the core centres of old towns and villages, has been haphazard with not even a modicum of planning and much less of ‘appropriate management’. At the time of planting when the trees are still young they do no raise any problems. The problems unfortunately come some years later when the trees are fully grown.

Many of the trees planted in Valletta after the Second World War are of the hardy type alien to the Maltese environment. After some years these grow luxuriously and disproportionately to the surroundings. Many of the trees planted have the potential of overgrowth both below and above ground. At some stage these trees start causing serious damage to streets, pavements and the foundations of surrounding edifices. In time they also obstruct the view of monuments and buildings of great historical and architectural value.

Valletta teems with such examples. We can see them in St John’s Square, Castille Place, Republic Square (ex Queen’s Square), in front of the law courts and in Palace Square and others. Would the authorities in Rome ever dream of planting trees in front of Palazzo Venezia, Castel Sant Angelo, or The Quirinale? The answer is an obvious ‘No’. It would be madness to do so. Similarly with other great cities of the world.

I was for a time hopeful that the plan for the full pedestrianisation of Castille Place would materialise. These hopes were dashed as the authorities gave in to popular pressure which was based more on sentiment than careful thought and assessment. The laudable aim of the Castille Place plan was that of creating a wide open pedestrianised square with no visual impediments to the rich architectural surroundings encompassing, amongst others, the incomparable frontage of the Auberge de Castille on one side and St James Cavalier on the other.

Likewise, as Bonello ably explained in his article, large trees should not be in front of bastions. Such trees destroy the visual impact of the line of fortifications around the walled city. Bastions should be left unobstructed with their linear integrity untouched. I have seen the bastions at Rhodes built by the same Knights who built those of Valletta and nowhere did I notice the abuses committed in Malta. Indeed, the bastions in Rhodes have been left mostly in their state of originality without undesirable intrusions or modifications.

I agree with those who call for common sense which should prevail at all times. There is always a middle way for a compromise. In line with the principles of the Woodland Trust as stated earlier green spaces in urban areas need to be selected with care and managed properly. Valletta has its own splendid gardens at Upper and Lower Barakka, Hastings Garden and Kalkara Garden that in no way intrude on the architectural value of the Baroque City.

These gardens should be nurtured and managed with care and maybe one or two other green spaces added on the periphery of the city. The rest, the internal parts of the city, should not be compromised but left, as far as possible, to respect the architectural and artistic intentions of their original planners and designers. This is as it should be.