Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/424604
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2014 News 9 JAMES DEBONO TWELVE semi-detached villas with pools have been approved by the Malta Environment and Plan- ning Authority on an open space in San Gwann, that was granted as compensation to the owners of the Fekruna Bay restaurant by the pre- vious government on the eve of the 2013 general election. The land was subsequently sold to Gozitan developer Joseph Por- telli, who presented an application in May and had it approved in six months. To make way for the villa devel- opment, an old farmhouse will be demolished against the advice of MEPA's own Heritage Protection Unit, which described the farm- house as a "vernacular structure worthy of protection". The HPU requested the integra- tion of the farmhouse in the new de- velopment. It also called on MEPA to seek the advice of the Superin- tendence for Cultural Heritage. But at a meeting held in August, the planning directorate's advisory team concluded that the building included numerous recent accre- tions and that its value did not merit prejudicing the development over the larger site. The Planning Directorate also justified its demolition as the farm- house was out of the road align- ment. As a result of these considerations, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage was not consulted. MEPA received several letters of objection claiming that the develop- ment was not compatible with the surrounding development and that the farmhouse and existing rubble walls should be protected. But the area, located between Triq Wied Ghollieqa and Triq ir-Russett, lies within development zones and had already been zoned for the de- velopment of villas in the local plans and the development fulfilled all the policy conditions. Eight of the villas will have a front- age on a planned road while another four will be accessed through an in- ternal drive. The new villas will be set on 3,012 square metres of land, granted by the former Nationalist government in compensation to Raymond Vella for relinquishing ownership of the now-demolished Mare d'Oro res- taurant in Fekruna Bay, Xemxija. Apart from the San Gwann land on which the villas are to be built, Vella was also granted 2,630 square metres of land in Ta' Xghajrat in Swieqi as part of the compensation deal. The two land parcels were val- ued at €4.3 million. The land was swapped to enable the government to expropriate the Mare d'Oro site and restore it to the public after it was repeatedly in- cluded in development zones. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt TEODOR RELJIC THE Association of Performing Arts Practitioners (APAP) has called on the Valletta 2018 Foundation to reconsider the appointment of Mario Philip Azzopardi as Artistic Director, after a vitriolic anti-Islamic rant was brought to the attention of the local media. In a Facebook status by Azzopardi last August – months before his V18 post was announced – the theatre and film director lashed out against Sharia law, claiming that all Mus- lims by proxy follow the same law and that it is only those who refuse it that deserve to 'join our club'. Az- zopardi went on to say that he would make sure that any 'idiot' who fol- lows Sharia law should not attain any political power, 'at the risk of using violence against him'. In a statement, APAP expressed its satisfaction that both the Fondazzjo- ni Valletta 2018 and the Minister of Culture, Owen Bonnici, have disas- sociated themselves from Azzop- ardi's remarks. In comments to the media, Bonnici said that while the comments were "unwarranted", he was inconclusive as to whether this should affect his incoming post as V18 Artistic Direc- tor, pending a closer look into the matter. "If he has written things which fall within the right of freedom of expression and are in line with the government's principles of cultural tolerance then that's one thing, if not then of course we will have to look into this matter," Bonnici told a news conference on Thursday. In a statement released on Friday, Azzopardi said he is sorry it any of his comments were taken as slights against cultural diversity and stressed that he has participated in projects in the past that not only involved peo- ple from various cultures, but that also sought to celebrate the idea of cultural diversity in all its forms. Azzopardi will officially be taking on the role of V18 Artistic Director in January 2015. "While APAP understands that the remarks expressed by Azzopardi were made in his personal capacity, the association nonetheless feels that these remarks do not fit well with his proposed role as Artistic Director of the Valletta 2018 project. "V18 is a major international event which is specifically entrusted with the task of promoting cultural diver- sity, as well as reflecting the various aspects of the Mediterranean cul- ture, and which aims to bring about change and understanding within society through creativity and dia- logue." The association felt that Azzop- ardi's comments as made on a public forum, "repeatedly and with much vigour," make him inadequate to ful- fill the Foundation's ambition. Speaking to MaltaToday last June, Valletta 2018 chairman Jason Mi- callef stressed that combating racial prejudice is one of the Foundation's key aims. "I think bringing people together has been one of the Foun- dation's greater successes. Diversity and tolerance are important aspects of what Valletta 2018 is about," Mi- callef had said. "APAP is concerned that Malta risks losing a once-in-a-lifetime op- portunity to fast track the develop- ment and professionalisation of the cultural industry sector if bad choic- es are made at this crucial stage, and that such choices should be made in continuous consultation with the sector itself. It is therefore calling on the Government, the Minister of Culture and the Foundation to re- consider this appointment," APAP said in their statement. In August, Azzopardi wrote on Fa- cebook that Shari'a law was "the big- gest collection of anti human rights laws under one religious cap: Islam". 'These individuals have reneged on the values we cherish because their intent is to use our system to destroy it. What's so difficult to get about this. When are we going to wake up. This is a call to cultural arms'. Mare d'Oro land swap gets green light for 12 villas Performing arts association wants V18 director out after anti-Islamic rant The San Gwann and Swieqi lands swapped for the now-demolished Fekruna Bay restaurant were valued at €4.3 million. Mario Philip Azzopardi is set to become Artistic Director of the Valletta 2018 Foundation next January PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD