The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage is monitoring works adjacent to a historic 17th century chapel in Mosta over concerns that it could affect the chapel’s stability.

The project, in Tal-Qares Street, was approved by the Planning Authority last April despite having been recommended for refusal by the PA’s case officer.

A terraced house will be demolished to make way for a basement level garage and two maisonettes at groundfloor level, four three-bedroomed apartments on the first and second floors and a duplex four-bedroomed penthouse with pool at the top.

The site lies just four metres away from the chapel dedicated to St Andrew, built in about 1657 to serve local farming communities.

NGOs Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar and Din l-Art Ħelwa have warned that the development will seriously prejudice the historic chapel.

In a report on the project for the Mosta parish, under which the chapel falls, architect Vince Buhagiar warned that, even using latest cutting technology, “structural movement will inevitably occur.

“Given the fact that the chapel already had open fissures repaired through multiple interventions and restoration, the potential damage that may be caused to the chapel could now be irreversible.”

At five floors, the new building would certainly dominate the chapel and further diminish the already subdued space around it, he wrote.

In contrast, Prof. Buhagiar cited Santa Margherita Chapel in Mosta where a surrounding green area had been delineated for non-development, enhancing the architectural quality of the chapel. The chapel to St Andrew received a major overhaul in 2002 through funding from the Restoration Unit, which included repair to numerous fissure cracks running along the corners, the barrel vault ceiling and facade.

“This chapel is far from being an abandoned countryside chapel, left derelict as a ruin. Sant’ Andrija Chapel merits maintaining and ‘incensing’ it further,” he said.