eNGOs Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Ramblers Malta and Friends of the Earth Malta, welcome the positive news that government has taken a positive steps to protect the Ta’ Ħagrat Temples. Yesterday Parliament voted to expropriate the land on which a permit was granted to build a villa well within the Temples’ buffer zone, which had been legislated to protect them from development.
The eNGOs hope that this is a first step that will lead government to withdraw the two new policies being proposed that weaken the preservation of Malta’s heritage. The first allows the sanctioning of illegal developments at built or natural scheduled (protected) sites. The second policy being considered is that the scheduling of heritage buildings will be reviewed every ten years putting these at risk of being demolished in favour of yet more apartments.
The eNGOs also urge the authorities to enact legislation to further strengthen the buffer zones of scheduled natural and cultural sites.
Given the shabby state of the approach to the Ta’ Hagrat Temples it is proposed that government takes this opportunity to turn the expropriated properties into a public open space worthy of such an important UNESCO World Heritage Site. This site is also long overdue for an information centre.
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar thanks all the 2300 people who supported this cause and signed the petition calling for the immediate withdrawal of this disputed permit.