Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1532977
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 5 MARCH 2025 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt ICOMOS Malta proposes ban on rooftop pools in Mdina Birgu Regatta Club applies to sanction illegal kiosks The issue was raised concerning a planning application in Mesquita Street proposing an additional f loor and a rooftop pool ICOMOS Malta, the local branch of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, is proposing a ban on the construction of rooftop pools in Mdina. The organisation is calling for a policy to prohibit such structures in the historic city and comes amid objections to a proposed development at the corner of Triq Mesquita and Triq l-Imħażen. The development, proposed by Andrea Gera de Petri Testa- ferrata, includes a receded ex- tension at roof level, a lift, and a rooftop pool. The proposal has sparked concerns from ICOMOS Malta, the Superin- tendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) and Din l-Art Ħelwa on the potential impact it could have on Mdina's cultural herit- age and architectural integrity. ICOMOS Malta has raised alarm over the proposed roof- top pool, arguing that it would disrupt the aesthetic harmony of Mdina. As a city with signif- icant cultural, historical, and architectural value, Mdina is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status, and ICOMOS Malta believes such develop- ments would compromise the city's authenticity. In light of this, ICOMOS Malta has proposed a policy to prohibit rooftop pools within Mdina. The organisation wants this policy enshrined in official documents and incorporated into any revised local plans. The organisation also recom- mends that any amended pro- posal at roof level be supported by photomontages from var- ious viewpoints to assess the visual impact on Mdina's sky- line. In fact, the Planning Author- ity had previously requested changes in two applications, removing the proposed pools. Back in 2022, a similar pro- posal was made by the UN- ESCO technical committee advising the government on the conservation of World Heritage Sites in Malta. The committee had instructed the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage to object to any roof top pools in the protected city as a matter of "principle". The SCH expressed concern about the considerable volume proposed at roof level, which would create a blank party wall adjacent to properties along Triq l-Imħażen. Furthermore, swimming pools at roof lev- el within Mdina "cannot be considered in principle from a cultural heritage point of view". The SCH also objected to the proposed alterations to the façade, including the in- troduction of multiple framed windows, which would detract from the building's austere character. The PA's internal design panel, the Design Ad- visory Committee, also ex- pressed concern about the pro- posed pool. Din l-Art Ħelwa also strongly objected to the proposed ex- tension, arguing that the de- velopment exceeds the permis- sible height in the area, based on the prevailing height of ad- jacent buildings (two floors). The organisation said any de- velopment in Mdina must re- spect the historical urban con- text and the city's architectural integrity. THE Birgu Regatta Club has applied to regularise two ille- gally constructed kiosks known as il-Kajjik kiosks, and for the placing of chairs and tables next to them. The kiosks which have been operational since 2023 were constructed over 62sq.m of land between the regatta club and a carpark. The kiosks are dwarfed by "temporary and reversible" tented structure sanctioned through a Development Notifi- cation Order in 2024, following an application presented by the local council. In their application the club says that it does not own the land in question but has been granted the consent of the owners while stating that the land is not government owned. One of the kiosks is classified as a catering establishment where cooking is allowed and the other is described as a ca- tering establishment where no cooking is allowed. The kiosks erected near the regatta club itself are not vis- ible on aerial photos taken in 2018 but are visible on satellite imagery taken in 2024. In the meantime, the Birgu local council has also applied to sanction minor alterations made to the façade of the club itself which have been endorsed by the PA's design panel. In 2019, the government stepped in to apply for the con- struction of a restaurant on top of the existing Birgu Regatta Club, despite objections by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage with regard to its neg- ative impact on the bastions. But the application was later turned down by the Planning Commission in 2020. The kiosk which the regatta club wants to sanction is next to a larger tented structure sanctioned in 2024