A landmark Sliema house, known to locals as Id-Dar il-Ħadra (the Green House) for its unusual green façade, is no more.
Residents were dismayed last week to see the 19th-century house on St Agatha Street, once recommended by heritage authorities for special protection, brought down to make way for the construction of an eight-storey apartment block.
The Planning Authority granted permission for the works last February despite the objections of residents, heritage groups and the Sliema local council, while the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage had called for the building to be granted Grade 2 scheduling due to its architectural value.
A prominent niche on the façade with a statue of the Virgin Mary, which gave its name to the adjacent St Mary Street, will be retained, along with a few other architectural features.
The Sliema local council had lodged an appeal against the demoition decision, calling for the façade to be protected in its entirety, as well as other elements.
The council argued that the PA had ignored “the evident heritage value” of the house and allowed it to be replaced with “an incongruous and aesethetically questionable façade”.
This and other grounds for the appeal were rejected by the Planning Tribunal in October, when it confirmed the decision to issue the permit.