It’s decision time for the planning tribunal on a proposed San Lawrenz development threatening the village skyline and the scheduled Monsarrat farmhouse.
In 2019, the Planning Authority took a sensible decision to unanimously refuse, not once but twice, two separate applications to build yet another two blocks of faceless apartments, penthouses and garages on a site located in the, as yet, tranquil and charming village of San Lawrenz.
The proposed development jars grossly with the current urban context of the area and that is putting it very mildly.
Approval of this construction would have destroyed Triq il-Wileġ and the western approach to the village together with the beautiful village skyline.
It would have also towered over, and destroyed, the setting of the historical and architecturally pristine farmhouse where the renowned author Nicholas Monsarrat wrote his masterpiece, The Kapillan of Malta and where his wife, Anne Monsarrat lived for 40 years.
Thankfully, the Planning Commission saw sense on that day and took what we believe to be the right decision to unanimously refuse the application in terms of which the mentioned unsightly aberration was being proposed.
Fast forward three years to 2022. In the intervening time, while the PA rightfully granted protection to the Monsarrat farmhouse, the developers filed an appeal to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal against the PA’s decision to refuse the development.
They also concurrently appealed against the Grade 2 scheduling of the Monsarrat farmhouse.
I trust that the tribunal will do the right thing and take a significant step to protect our heritage for this and future generations
Last month, the tribunal, after two years of comprehensive deliberations, completed the appeals process and will now take a decision to uphold or overturn the PA decisions to stop the block blighting the surrounding environment and to maintain the scheduling protection granted to the adjacent historical building.
If the tribunal finds in favour of the developers, another street and another village together with another part of our heritage will be consigned to the dustbin of ugly concrete sprawl, which is persistently devouring Gozo like the hydra-headed monsters of Greek mythology.
To be fair, the PA – backed by its Heritage Unit – has so far seemingly taken a staunch approach in terms of protecting the Monsarrat farmhouse and its surrounding context. The arguments raised by the PA in favour of its scheduling have been bold and unequivocal.
This gives us hope for the future protection of our island’s built environment and its cultural, historical and architectural heritage.
During the parties’ deliberations at the final hearings held before the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, I must admit that I was also impressed by the defence – put up by the PA’s representatives – of its decision to grant Grade 2 protection status to the historical home as well as the authority’s considerable emphasis on why the development was discordant with the context of the surrounding area, namely in light of its close proximity to the Monsarrat farmhouse, the threat to the village skyline and surrounding ODZ areas.
I hope and have faith that the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal will take the right decision to safeguard this tranquil village and protect what many truly believe to be a historical gem of Gozitan architecture and history.
Only time will tell, though I trust that the tribunal will do the right thing and take a significant step to protect our heritage for this and future generations.
As always, the ‘before and after’ images of what we enjoy today and what we could be dreading tomorrow speak louder than words.
The fate of a village is in the hands of the planning tribunal.
Godfrey Swain is a company director and previous international senior banking executive. He is a permanent resident of Gozo and a founding member of Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex.