The planning authority’s Appeal Review Board will be considering an appeal challenging the development of a house a few metres from, and well within the buffer zone of the Ta’ Hagrat prehistoric temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, tomorrow.

The appeal is being presented by the Mgarr council, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar said.

It said in a statement this development was allowed despite the authority’s local plan policy that, while allowing redevelopment of existing houses, did not allow any new development within the Mgarr buffer zone.

FAA maintained that this proposal to replace a shed with a two storey house could in no way be interpreted as redevelopment, and greatly impinged on the vista as well as the sense of place and space of these temples.

FAA said it was concerned that in allowing this development the authority created a precedent putting at risk the integrity of Malta’s heritage buffer zones for once development is allowed in this particular Unesco World Heritage site other applications are likely to follow.

“It is our knowledge that some of the various developments which had been refused because they infringed on the buffer zone, will be re-proposed in view that the buffer zone policy has now been infringed.”

These concerns, it said, led Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar to file a judicial protest against the authority and the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage.