Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1483500
NEWS 16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 NOVEMBER 2022 LUKE VELLA A court has concluded that the Planning Authority illegally au- thorised the demolition of the former Sea Malta Building in Marsa. In its judgment, the court slammed the PA and former boss Johann Buttigieg for the il- legal demolition and for only re- lying on a report by an Enemalta architect, rather than appointing one of its own. In a statement on Saturday, the Chamber of Architects said that Friday's final judgement con- firmed its position on the sys- tematic failings in the planning processes that "make a pretence of being rigorous but fail to truly protect the country's built envi- ronment and its historical archi- tectural legacy." It noted how on 20 March 2018, together with Din l-Art Ħelwa and Flimkien għall-Ambjent Aħ- jar, it had sued the Planning Au- thority over the illegal author- isation granted to Enemalta to demolish the Sea Malta building at Xatt l-Għassara in Marsa. "The Sea Malta building, or what is left of it, is an important part of our architectural heritage – a fine modernist building that successive administrations sadly failed to adequately protect and schedule," the Chamber said. The court case had been filed after having first written to for- mer Prime Minister Joseph Mus- cat on 6 December 2017 stating that "this building is now se- verely dismembered as a direct result of the Authority's failure to recognise its error, to ignore repeated calls for the works to be stopped, and to blatantly ignore the findings of the investigation carried out by the Commissioner [for the Environment and Plan- ning]. This behaviour can only be described as an utter disgrace, and a clear signal that the Au- thority believes itself to be above the law." It remarked how it had called on former Prime Minister Muscat for immediate action to be taken to ensure that abusive planning approvals for demolition of built heritage were reversed, and that the necessary measures are taken to safeguard historical buildings from further destruction under the guise of permitted develop- ment. "A request for an urgent meet- ing was also made. This letter and successive pleas for discus- sion remained unanswered," the Chamber said. On 29 December 2017, the Commissioner for the Environ- ment and Planning within the Office of the Ombudsman had confirmed the Kamra's position about the substantive and pro- cedural failings of the Planning Authority in this case. Indeed, the PA's Executive Council had explicitly voted to ignore the Ombudsman's find- ings and allow the demolition of the Sea Malta building to pro- ceed regardless. It said that over recent months, various images went viral on so- cial media, illustrating the "trav- esty" surrounding the purported protection of architectural her- itage, from prehistoric cart-ruts to rural chapels and prominent 19th Century buildings in St Ju- lian's. "These images nakedly expose this pretence, which should no longer be ignored by deci- sion-makers. As witnessed in the Sea Malta building case, given the opportunity, the PA's Exec- utive Council will vote for the demolition of cultural heritage rather than its protection," the Chamber said. "The Kamra shall continue to advocate for the need for com- prehensive planning reform to ensure that the Planning Au- thority begins to focus on up- holding the public good rather than speculative interests." Sea Malta building demolition was illegal Chamber of Architects says court ruling confirmed its position on the systematic failings in the planning processes The former Sea Malta building in Marsa