A leading environmental lawyer yesterday urged Malta to regenerate its many vacant properties and think long term when developing new buildings.
“Do not repeat Montenegro’s mistake. Montenegro’s coast was destroyed as buildings started going up facing the sea. These buildings had a great view but the view of those behind them was appalling,” Simon Molesworth, founder of the International National Trusts Organisation, said at a discussion on business development and environmental protection yesterday.
“If you want to be in the industry for a long time, don’t design just for yourself but make sure that someone will want to live next to you,” he said of long-term sustainability. Prof. Molesworth was speaking at a roundtable debate organised by Din l-Art Ħelwa and the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry with the support of the Times of Malta.
Leaders from the business and environment sectors discussed the compatibility between business development and the protection of the environment.
While Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association president Tony Zahra, Malta Developers Association president Sandro Chetcuti and architect Ivan Cachia spoke for business development, Petra Caruana Dingli and Alan Deidun spoke for the environment and heritage.
Prof. Deidun noted that the two were not compatible bedfellows because business occupied the whole bed while the environment was the observer, or the elephant in the room.
He noted Malta was the most densely constructed place in Europe, considering that a third of the island was built up or disturbed. Prof. Molesworth asked the stakeholders to think about what drew tourists to Malta, which he believed was the uniqueness of the country, a place that was different from where they came from.
“Use the buildings you already have. Regenerate the thousands of vacant places,” he said.
He told this newspaper buildings that already attracted people to Malta should be developed rather than build new ones.
This made sense even from a climate change point of view. Starting from scratch required more resources and energy than what you would need to regenerate an existing building.
“Maintain the ambience that first drew people to Malta,” he insisted, reiterating the challenge he had posed during the discussion earlier.
One of the issues brought up during the discussion was the new policy on fuel stations that allows for existing ones to be relocated from urban areas to outside development zone land designated non-agricultural. It also allows for new petrol stations “opposite or adjacent” to “areas of containment” in ODZs.
Prof. Molesworth challenged the stakeholders to come up with a design that allowed such structures to respect the environment. There was no need to put up a glaring sore thumb with a service station designed abroad, having blaring lights and great canopies. Such structures could be modified to respect the surroundings, he said.
He urged those present to pull down the barriers of communication and discuss a long-term vision.