Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/382165
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2014 News 2 MEPA's new policy paves way for demolition and redevelopment of countryside ruins Fort Cambridge restoration in full swing JAMES DEBONO COUNTRYSIDE ruins can be demolished and rebuilt accord- ing to the new policy regulating rural developments outside de- velopment zones. The demolition and complete redevelopment of 'ruins' was specifically excluded in the draft policy regulating rural and ODZ developments issued in October 2013. But this important clause was excluded in the final policy pre- sented by the government last week. The policy defined a ruin "as a dilapidated structure which has lost all or the majority of its sup- porting walls and roofs". The original document made it clear that permission may be granted for the total redevelop- ment of an existing building, or the consolidation of build- ings, located outside develop- ment zones, provided that "the building/s is not considered as a ruin." The new policy states that these buildings must be put to an agricultural and not to a res- idential use. These agricultural uses include stores, retail shops, agritourism, boutique wineries, beehives and retail stores. But new dwellings are allowed instead of disused livestock farms which can make way for 200 square metre dwellings and to cater the needs of arable farmers. The policy enables registered farmers to knock down build- ings built before 1978 to build a dwelling for their needs. In all these cases the new building cannot be larger than the existing one. Moreover while the original document issued in 2013 speci- fied that the applicant must prove that the building/s is covered by development per- mission, or that it is a pre-1967 building; the new policy applies to both buildings covered by a permit and to all buildings con- structed before 1978. Similarly another policy states that any pre-1978 buildings – even those without a planning permit – may be rehabilitated and converted into dwellings. The policy states that "substan- tial re-building" must be avoid- ed in the rehabilitation of these buildings. Dwellings can only be devel- oped on sites serviced by exist- ing roads. This effectively means that any ODZ development built be- fore 1978 has been regularised and can be rebuilt or converted. In fact the new policy defines as a legally established any de- velopment found in the 1978 aerial photos. The official excuse for the 1978 cut off date is the avail- ability of aerial photos dating from then. But the clause would effec- tively give new value to build- ings illegally constructed in the 1970s. During a press conference last week MEPA deputy chairperson Elisabeth Ellul justified the new policies allowing the redevelop- ment of ODZ buildings saying that this is a way to enable own- ers to demolish 'ugly' buildings and substituting them with a better design. Presently MEPA cannot per- mit the redevelopment of ODZ buildings. According to Ellul this was leading to situations where owners had two options; either demolish the buildings or leave them in a state of ruin and un- usable. In other cases MEPA's blanket ban on redevelopment led to owners resorting to piecemeal applications aimed at demolish- ing as much as possible of the old building. But the new policy may also lead to an intensification of de- velopment in the heart of the new policy. In fact the new policy allows the redevelopment of buildings (including excavations for base- ments) even in areas enjoying the highest status of protection. Extensions are also allowed in buffer zones to areas of ecologi- cal importance. Elisabeth Ellul has also signed a declaration exempting the pol- icy from a Strategic Environment Assessment, an EU requirement for any plan deemed to have an impact on the environment. The declaration states that the policy has no significant envi- ronmental effects. While Ellul claims that the new policy safeguards sites and features which have a protec- tion status, the document itself not only allows a myriad of de- velopments in buffer zones to protected areas but also allows development on Natura 2000 sites if studies show that this de- velopment will not have a nega- tive environmental impact. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO GAP Holdings have kept their word – in May they promised that works on the res- toration of the Fort Cambridge were to start in two months, which is three years after the Malta Environment and Plan- ning Authority approved the restoration project. It turns out that works on the restoration of the historical fort are in full swing. Contacted by MaltaToday, GAP direc- tor Paul Attard gave a detailed overview of the works conducted so far. He explained that the first phase of the restoration has involved the demolition of accretions, which were structures added to the fort over time. In the 1970's the right hand side of the fort, when one looks at it from Qui Si Sa- na, was completely demolished and an in- door pool constructed. The middle part of the fort was also demolished in order to make space for an outdoor pool and related pool decks. Both pools were part of the amenities which served the then Holiday Inn Hotel. These parts of the fort have had to be re-built properly according to an ap- proved method state- ment. At present their demolition is under way, and the erection of part of the fort has com- menced. The second phase, which has now been taken in hand, in- volves the recon- struction of damaged parts of the fort and the formation of the original historical glacis. A retaining wall has been built around the fort area and clean fill mate- rial is being depos- ited to re-construct the presently miss- ing glacis. As soon as these works are com- pleted, landscaping will be carried out as approved. The MEPA board had approved the permit for the resto- ration of Fort Cam- bridge on 15 July 2010, as a condition in the permit to GAP Holdings for the Fort Cambridge develop- ment. Subsequently GAP Holdings issued a call for tenders for the restoration works, which was in "final stages of adjudica- tion" in May. Fort Cambridge was one of the British- built fortresses in the defence system cre- ated at Tigné Point. The pentagon-shaped fort dates to the 1880s and is similar in design to Fort Rinella in Kalkara. In fact, both forts housed one of the three famous 100- tonne coastal guns, which required a gun crew of 35 – Fort Cambridge was built specifically to accommodate it. Work on it began in 1878 but it was not finished until 1898. The restoration approved by the MEPA board will restore the fort to its original layout through the cleaning of the stone- work, and opening up of areas which had previously been blocked or covered over. When approving the project, the MEPA made it clear that while it had no objec- tion to commercial facilities located in the restored fort, any such development required a new MEPA application. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD