Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/625693
8 James Debono A proposed extension to the scheduled isolation hospital in Mtarfa, which is planned to be converted into an old people's home, goes beyond the ODZ boundary giving the proposed residential home valuable coun- tryside views, plans seen by Mal- taToday show. The development proposed by Malta Healthcare Caterers, a subsidiary of the Seabank hotel, also includes an additional sto- rey on the existing hospital and extensive demolition within the Grade 2 building. In a letter sent to the Malta Environment and Planning Au- thority (MEPA) in December Heritage NGO Din l-Art Helwa warned MEPA that the proposed extension of the hospital shows no respect for the building fabric of the listed historical structure. "The extension completely conceals the view of the former isolation hospital from the valley below and from distant views," the NGO said. Commenting on plans present- ed to MEPA, the heritage NGO noted that the extension is being proposed at "a skew angle" to the existing building. In view of this Din l-Art Helwa asked MEPA to ask the develop- ers to drop the proposed ODZ extension from their plans. The heritage NGO also object- ed to the demolition of internal walls, noting that as proposed the project would only leave the "outer shell" of the building. Ac- cording to the NGO, the project as proposed goes against the "spirit of restoration". The proposed development would also include two storeys below the building. Plans submitted this week to the MEPA for the 148-bed pri- vate old people's home also fore- see a new surface car park for 57 cars, instead of the existing cul de sac. The area earmarked for the car park is presently covered with with 20 olive trees, which would be replanted in a proposed gar- den area. Pine trees would be re- planted at a lower level. Architect and freeport chair- man Robert Sarsero, who also serves as a member of MEPA's appeals tribunal, has drawn up the plans for the project. The isolation hospital was one of four historical buildings ear- marked for restoration for com- mercial purposes in an expres- sion of interest issued last year. Malta Healthcare Caterers, a subsidiary of the Seabank Group, was the recommended bidder for the building. The hospital was built by the British in 1924 and was considerably damaged by arson. The company plans to re- store the structure and convert it into a home for the elderly, spe- cialising in dementia patients. MEPA scheduled the isolation hospital in Mtarfa as a Grade 2 national monument on July 12, 2008. Normally only internal al- terations can be made to grade 2 scheduled buildings. A new policy proposed by MEPA allows extra storeys on scheduled buildings such as the isolation hospital in Mtarfa when these are restored and used as old people's homes. But the policy also states that it does not apply to homes located out- side the development zone. This means that any extension of the building would not benefit from additional storeys. A neglected architectural gem The isolation hospital was built as part of the Mtarfa Military Hospital and barracks. It is a single f loor building having a facade in the classical order, with pilasters instead of columns. It has identical front and rear wings with pilastered verandas supporting an arched central bay. The veranda is roofed over four supporting pillars at left and right, with the corners formed of a cluster of three pilasters. A central wing is connected to the two f lanking wings by a closed corridor of matching ex- terior. The wing consists of the power and boiler rooms. A frieze and a cornice run along the en- tire roof. The arson was concentrated in the rear wing of the hospital and some rooms, but the veranda and the exterior fabric suffered con- siderable damage. The slabs in some of the smaller rooms col- lapsed. The remainder of the building is still in a good condition, al- though neglected. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 13 JANuArY 2016 News Isolation hospital extension extends beyond oDZ line Animal waste management plant inaugurated in Marsa martIna borg WASTESERv inaugurated a €12 million animal waste manage- ment plant in Marsa yesterday, which will usher in several side benefits according to what the media were told at the inaugura- tion. The new Wasteserv EU-funded autoclave rendering plant for the treatment of animal waste, WasteServ CEO Tonio Monte- bello told those present, was part of the drive to improve the coun- try's waste treatment infrastruc- ture. Montebello also explained that the plant would result in substan- tial savings made by the incinera- tion plant, which processes some 6,000 tonnes of waste a year. Projects manager Jean Luke Zarb said that the problem with the current system was that a lot of energy was being wasted in incinerating water or fats on the carcasses. "This plant will work essentially as an industrial pressure cooker in that it will dry up the carcasses beforehand," he said, adding that this would ultimately result in less energy being consumed by the incinerator. He added that the fats would also be used as fuel for the plant itself, therefore reducing its fuel consumption. Stressing that the plant would also be used to treat materials coming from Gozo, Montebello said that the new plant would also banish issues that normally arose when the incinerator was under maintenance, ensuring a seamless transition and opera- tion. Environment minister Leo Brin- cat said that the drop in fuel con- sumption would also ultimately lead to less harmful greenhouse gas emissions. "Another novelty the plant will introduce, is expired foodstuffs containing meat by products, which would normally have to be incinerated," he said, using a pizza with meat as an example. "The plant will allow us to treat these foods and then forward them to other treatment plants to turn them into biofuels," he added. Brincat said that the project would also increase WasteServ's overall operation, and that the company was also looking for- ward to the inauguration of the Malta North MBT in the coming months. EU funds parliamentary sec- retary Ian Borg added that the project, 85% of which was funded by the EU, was also completed in record time, in about a year. "The government is also cur- rently evaluating projects for the latest €200 million fund package under the European Regional Development Fund," he said. mat thew agIus FORMER police inspector Daniel Zammit has told a court that he had only become aware through the media after his resignation that a house in Qormi, the crime scene of a 2008 murder, had been demol- ished to make way for an apart- ment block. Zammit was answering ques- tions put to him by law yer Ed- ward Gatt, who is appearing parte civile for the family of shooting victim Neville Bald- acchino in proceedings against Stephen Caruana, who is ac- cused of Baldacchino's murder. Baldacchino died of multiple gunshot wounds on December 19, 2008, in Caruana's house. Zammit testified that he had investigated the homicide and had been leading its pros- ecution up to the compilation stage. Gatt asked him at what stage had he found out about the demolition of the murder scene. The ex-policeman told magistrate Neville Camilleri that he had only found out that the place had been disturbed through the media, as he had already left the police force at that time. An inquiry into the house's destruction had been ordered by the Prime Minister. The resulting report accused the 35-year-old former police in- spector of acting unethically, following revelations that Zammit had business ties to the Gaffarena family. Joe Gaf- farena's daughter, Romina was married to accused Stephen Caruana. In that report, retired judge Michael Mallia said that Zam- mit had not declared a conf lict of interest while investigating the murder. Inspector Keith Arnaud is prosecuting. Law yer Giannella de Marco is defence counsel to Caruana. Zammit was assisted Former inspector Daniel Zammit 'learned of crime scene demolition through the media' Neglected but scheduled – the former isolation hospital in Mtarfa Former Inspector Daniel Zammit