The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has greenlighted is-Suq tal-Belt’s application for new canopies in its outdoor dining area, provided that the central open space be left unobstructed.
In May, Arkadia Marketing Limited, the company that operates the Suq tal-Belt food court and supermarket in Valletta, filed an application to install new permanent canopies over its outdoor seating venue, more than two years after it was hit with an enforcement notice for installing canopies without a permit.
In its latest comments on the proposal, the SCH said that, following assessment, the canopies would be deemed “acceptable”, provided that any structural pillars emulate the original Victorian pillars supporting the existing building, the space between the dining area be kept open and that the canopies be manufactured in a single-colour material, preferable stone colour.
“This will ensure that part of the historical façade of the Valletta market can be viewed without any items covering the façade design,” the SCH said.
However, heritage NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa has strongly objected to the application, arguing that it diminishes appreciation of the scheduled building and its unique architecture.
“Din l-Art Ħelwa maintains that the structure makes it impossible for one to even appreciate the aesthetic and architectural quality of this heritage building and for this reason the authority had deemed it necessary to list the property as a Grade 2 building,” it said.
“Such a massive structure that dominates the vistas and blocks views of this Grade 1 scheduled building is completely unacceptable. It is further being maintained that given the scheduled status of this building, further information is required to deduce the impact of the proposed new canopies.”
DLĦ has also questioned the validity of the construction of the original canopies through a development notification order.
In October 2019, large permanent canopies appeared in front of Valletta’s old market, obstructing its iconic façade and earning a comparison to a “cheap shed” from a former Valletta mayor.
That same month, the Planning Authority slapped the canopies with an enforcement notice with a daily fine of up to €50.
Arkadia Marketing Limited, the market’s operators, appealed the enforcement, arguing that the installation of permanent canopies had been covered in a development notification order approved in 2018.
The appeal is still pending before the planning appeals tribunal.