The Fgura council has failed in its attempt to save one of the oldest buildings in the locality from being demolished after the Environment and Review Tribunal ruled there was no sufficient evidence to justify its complete preservation.

The issue revolves around a dilapidated farmhouse located in Triq Hompesch believed to be about 200 years old.

Apart from the historical aspect, the council says the building has several vernacular features such as stone slabs and kileb (corbels).

Since its establishment, the council had expressed its wish to restore it, reconstruct a historic niche of Our Lady and transform the farm into a public cultural centre and open space.

Although in 1995 the farmhouse had been granted basic protection (Grade 3) by the Planning Authority, in reality this only meant that if the building were to be demolished, its replacement would have to be “in harmony” with its surroundings.

Fgura would end up without an urban lung

Last year, a development application was filed by Trevor Buttigieg to demolish the existing building and raise the security perimeter wall, presumably as part of a separate plan to develop the site. The proposal was submitted after the developer had been successful in his request to de-schedule the building.

The Grade 3 protection had been removed as in a separate case the tribunal had concluded there was no evidence of the existence of a niche of Our Lady at the farmhouse, nor any concrete proof that the building had special relevance to the identity of Fgura.

Alarmed by the proposal to demolish the farmhouse, the council had appealed.

However, it failed to overturn the decision. While noting that the appeal had been submitted four days beyond the 30-day limit established by law, the tribunal said that even though the building was old, it lacked vernacular features and was built across different periods.

While echoing the reasons given behind the decision to remove the Grade 3 protection, the tribunal said the developer would be bound to safeguard any traditional architectural features.

In a statement, the Fgura council said it would not give up the fight to preserve this building, which it described as one of the only two historic sites in the locality.

While denouncing the decision for de-scheduling, which it said paved the way for the demolition proposal, it pointed out that Fgura would end up without an urban lung.

The authorities did not realise the importance of urban open spaces, it said. The council pledged to keep up the pressure in favour of the introduction of sustainable transport, open spaces and a better environment.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.