Last updated at 2.40pm with reaction by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has been urged to stop works which appear to be endangering a complex of three cisterns dug beneath the former ITS building in Pembroke more than a century ago.

Independent election candidate Arnold Cassola said in a statement that the Planning Authority permit for the site clearly stated that the cisterns are to be retained. 

"Yesterday I informed the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) of the criminal destruction going on and I presented them with four photographs of this sacrilegious act," he said.

He said the cisterns, built between 1890-1910 formed an important part of Malta's history and heritage and must be preserved.

In a reaction, a spokesperson for the db Group, operators of the project, said the allegations made by Cassola were completely untrue.

"As can be easily verified with the permit itself, some of the site's cisterns are scheduled for demolition, while others are not. The db Group is meticulously abiding by the permit approved by the Planning Authority in 2021 and has breached none of the conditions."

He said Cassola's allegations of criminal acts by db Group were completely false and malicious.

The group pointed out that Planning Authority permit PA 3807/17 provides that Reservoir No1 shall be retained and integrated within the approved project areas. Reservoir No. 2 shall also be retained in its entirety and integrated with the project basement levels.

Reservoir No. 3 can be removed due to the fact this had already been severely impacted by development that took place in the past and it does not now have any value that would warrant its preservation.  

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage in a separate statement confirmed that Reservoir No 3 had been severely impacted by past development and did not have much value to warrant preservation.