Degradation of towns (2)

In her letter of January 12, Mepa's spokesman Sylvana Debono mentions that in Naxxar the height limitations in urban conservation areas are two floors. Could she therefore explain how the Sliema urban conservation areas rise as high as five floors...

In spite of the Sliema council's request to extend the UCA, it has in fact shrunk, as the line marking the UCA has shifted, leaving out streets which were previously included in the UCA in the draft (i.e. previous) local plan. By a strange coincidence, these areas which now benefit from less restrictive conditions happen to coincide with building projects in the pipeline requesting seven floors, which will create narrow canyon streets touching the UCA. A case of local plans made to order, but tailored to whose measurements?

This is a travesty of all Conservation Area values, which by some convoluted logic Environment Minister George Pullicino claimed will greatly improve living conditions for Sliema residents. A more accurate description is that, bad as living conditions in Sliema are now, the increased building heights approved in the plan will make living and getting around in Sliema insufferable. It is evident, in comparing Malta's various local plans, that certain areas have been identified as sacrificial lambs to be sold off to keep developers happy. Sliema is one of these areas.

Ms Debono's claim that the Sliema Local Plan is binding is debunked by its immediate violation in the case of 75, Windsor Terrace where a scandalous six floors were approved (see Auditor's report). And this in an area which was previously scheduled and limited to two floors in both the draft and ratified local plans! It is to be noted that this highly irregular decision by Mepa's Development Control Commission (a misnomer if ever there was one!) holds good over any local plan.

Far from being the way forward as Ms Debono said, the Sliema Local Plan is the final nail in Sliema's coffin.

Degradation of towns (2)

Sign up to our free newsletters