Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar publishes 2006 warnings by experts

Cultural and heritage experts had warned, as far back as 2006, of the clear risks the proposed underground museum in front of St John's Co-Cathedral, in Valletta, would pose, the environmental lobby group Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar said.

FAA has posted on its website reports it said were drawn up by the cultural and heritage experts. The reports expressed concern over the risks posed by the €16 million project, which involved the excavation of a four-storey deep hole in front of the cathedral.

The controversial project, pushed forward by the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation, was dropped by the government last Wednesday, a few hours before Parliament had to take a vote on it.

Geologist Peter Gatt had expressed concern that tension cracks (konsenturi) would appear in the soft globerina limestone used to build the cathedral if the project went ahead. Deep excavations would alter stresses in the rock and cause slow deformation, which would increase the damage to the cathedral structure in the form of tension cracks and could ruin Mattia Preti's vault paintings, Mr Gatt said.

If the excavation exposed a sizeable joint (in the rock) in a particular direction, an entire wedge of rock could fail, causing catastrophic damage to the cathedral similar to the excavation of the Sliema car park and Buġibba, he added.

The head of the planning authority's heritage team, Joe Magro Conti, had also voiced his concern over the project with the Heritage Advisory Committee, that agreed with him.

The excavations would have posed a clear risk to the cathedral's structure, setting a precedent for similar demands in the immediate vicinity, Mr Magro Conti said.

Any excavations would have risked historic or archaeological remains found in the area, he added. The heritage committee criticised the lack of evidence to explain the need for such a large space, adding that no explanation was given to use the present museum space.

The FAA expressed satisfaction at the news that €14 million earmarked for the project will not be lost but used for another Maltese tourism-related project.

The FAA queried why the planning authority had been processing the application if the scheduling of St John's Co-Cathedral as a Grade 1 monument specifically prohibited the proposed structural changes.

The group also pointed out that the foundation's application as an NGO was not valid because it was not a registered NGO.

The FAA again called on the government to demand the resignation of the foundation members over the mismanagement of Malta's prime heritage asset and of public funds.

The public had the right to expect good governance from its public representatives, elected or not, the FAA said.