A proposed lift at the Mediterranean Conference Centre aimed at improving accessibility has been turned into a controversy not based on facts, the National Commission for Persons with a Disability has said. 

Plans to build a rooftop viewing platform and panoramic lift atop the MCC have been slammed by Valletta local council and heritage NGO Din L-Art Ħelwa, among others. 

The proposal, which includes restoration works, would create a raised viewing platform and glass railing on the roof of the MCC, as well as two “panoramic lifts” intended to ferry 32 passengers directly from the roof to the Long Ward.

The railing will be receded and should not be visible from street level but it is still likely to affect a number of other key viewpoints, including the Great Siege Bell and surrounding buildings.

In its defence of the project, the Disability Commission said that it had gone to great lengths to respect the historic value of the building. It had acted reasonably throughout and sought alternative solutions whenever there was the risk of damage.

It also noted that the place where the lift was to be installed had been roofed in the 1970s.