No political will seen to start rehabilitation of Fort St Elmo

The crossfire that erupted yesterday at the historic Fort St Elmo during a workshop on the future of the fort left more dust flying than any firm conclusion.

Although there was general consensus about the urgent need to intervene to halt the rapid deterioration, there were extremely divergent views as to what use should be made of the fort, which played a vital part in the country's chequered past.

Priming the debate, Culture and Art Minister Jesmond Mugliett said Fort St Elmo at the lower end of Valletta, that took up one third of the capital, was the historical site left in the most abandoned state.

Parts of the fort had been given out to various entities, each pulling its own rope without any consideration given to its preservation, he said.

Ray Bondin, executive coordinator of the Valletta Rehabilitation Project, who chaired the workshop suggested that the fort be used for a series of theatre and music activities during the long summer months.

He suggested that the War Museum be moved to the St Peter and Paul counterguard by the Upper Barrakka in Valletta, to be within easy reach for cruise liner passengers.

Various representatives, including Martin Scicluna, chairman of Din l-Art Helwa suggested that the fort ought to serve as an extension of the War Museum while other parts be given to NGOs involved in the performing arts.

He suggested that the fort should be cleaned, made secure, the squatters evicted and the carnival float people who use part of lower St Elmo moved elsewhere.

Mr Scicluna disagreed with the minister, who had suggested that the fort be turned into a crafts centre or a hotel linked to the Mediterranean Conference Centre and marketed for conference and incentive travel.

Mario Farrugia, executive director of Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, in his characteristic fiery manner disagreed completely with the idea of splitting the fort piecemeal among NGOs.

"NGOs would do their own structural alterations, ruining all historical connection as had happened at Tignè.

"The fort should be seen as a complete entity and used as a history museum going back in time to 7,000 years."

Speaking from personal experience - FWA had rehabilitated Fort Rinella, which was off the beaten track but still managed to attract 40,000 visitors a year - Mr Farrugia said Fort St Elmo was in a prime site and could generate enough money to sustain its own conservation programme.

Mr Farrugia lamented, however, that there was no political will to set the ball rolling to evict squatters and return the fort to its pristine condition.

While most of the speakers highlighted the problem of where to house the carnival float makers and push out the squatters, Stephen Spiteri, superintendent of fortifications, pointed out that the lower part of St Elmo was not part of Fort St Elmo at all.

"Lower St Elmo was so called by the British, but in effect, the lower part consists of bastions built by the Knights to cordon off Valletta.

"The problem of how to evict the squatters and where to site the carnival float makers should not halt the restoration of the fort", Mr Spiteri noted.

Valletta mayor Paul Borg Olivier said one had to be cautious when one spoke of involving commercial interests. This argument had been used in the case of Tignè and Manoel Island and the Cottonera but it was still early to see what scale such commercial involvement would entail.

The regeneration of Fort St Elmo would act as a catalyst to regenerate the rest of its environs, Dr Borg Olivier said.