PR 07/17 | Consultation with Parliamentary Standing Committee for the Environment and Development Planning

In a letter to the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, the Kamra tal-Periti (Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers) referred to the Development Planning Act enacted in 2016, and in particular to the procedures established therein regarding revisions to the Spatial Strategy and to Subsidiary Plans and Local Plans, which require that the Parliamentary Standing Committee for the Environment and Development Planning is consulted on such revisions during the same period as the Planning Authority carries out consultation with the general public. The Committee is required to give its comments on the revisions during the same public consultation period.

The Kamra tal-Periti stressed that, for the Committee to be truly effective and representative, it should have at its disposition the outcome of the public consultation while considering the proposed revisions. This would aid the Committee in considering, reviewing and understanding better the proposal and the reactions to the proposed changes by the public who, after all, these Members of Parliament are elected to represent.

The Kamra tal-Periti suggested that the necessary amendments are effected to the Development Planning Act, such that the consultation process with the Parliamentary Standing Committee is carried out after the public consultation process, and recommended that the Committee is to be presented with a copy of all the submissions made by the public.

The correspondence outlining the proposal of the Kamra tal-Periti is found in the link below.

Read letter to PS Schembri

 

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PR 06/17 | Periti not allowed to submit planning applications during Easter Week

Periti attempting to submit new planning applications this week through the Planning Authority’s online portal were notified that “The period between 10th April 2017 and 16th April 2017, is defined as a Peroid (sic) of Inactivity through LN 162 of 2016. No new Applications may be submitted during this period. Kindly reload the application from “Draft Applications” after the 16th April 2017 to finalize the submission process.”

The Kamra tal-Periti wrote to the Planning Authority and to the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Hon Dr Deborah Schembri, as follows:

“It has come to the Kamra’s attention that the Planning Authority has unilaterally and without prior notice decided that no new applications may be submitted during this week.

This is completely unacceptable, more so because it does not arise out of any regulation that applications may not be submitted during the Authority’s inactive period. Article 16 of LN 162 of 2016 states clearly that the only impact of the Authority’s shut down periods is to suspend ongoing time frames and extend them accordingly.

This action from the Authority, which completely disregards commitments which periti have with their clients, and which individuals have with other third parties, is not on.

The Kamra tal-Periti insists that this situation is reversed immediately.”

 

No response has as yet been forthcoming.

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KTP asks Government to protect industrial heritage in Marsa Power Station Site

In a statement published earlier today, the Kamra tal-Periti called on Government to identify and protect those buildings present within the Marsa Power Station Complex.

The Chamber referred to a recent conference organised by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC) during which “the importance of the regeneration of certain degraded areas, yet ironically parts of the Power Station were being demolished as the conference was under way.”

Reference was also made to projects submitted by final year students of the Faculty of the Built Environment in 2016 explored various alternatives for the regeneration of Marsa, including the Power Station site. “The Faculty is of the opinion that while the demolition of the power station would clear up a tract of land that could be used to accommodate a wide range of uses, both commercial and civic, the value of the building itself is important as industrial and architectural heritage, and there is no reason why it cannot be preserved, and used as a spur for the redevelopment of the surrounding area. This opinion is shared by the Kamra tal-Periti” it said in its statement.

The Kamra also called on the setting up of a joint committee composed of the PA, SCH and Heritage Malta “to identify those buildings and areas that merit preservation and sustainable regeneration”.

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PR 05/17 | Marsa Power Station

The Kamra tal-Periti exhorts Government and Enemalta to reconsider the demolition of those parts of the old Marsa Power Station that are considered to have significant architectural quality and that form an important part of our industrial heritage.

Only last week, the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation organised a morning conference extolling the importance of the regeneration of certain degraded areas, yet ironically parts of the Power Station were being demolished as the conference was under way.

The Kamra tal-Periti calls for the demolition process to be halted immediately, firstly because it considers the Power Station Site to be crucial in the successful regeneration of the Marsa area, and also because to date there is no clear plan for what is to be done with the site once the buildings are demolished. There is therefore still time to integrate the existing structures within any proposed redevelopment of the site.

The Kamra tal-Periti refers to the work carried out by the final year students of the Faculty for the Built Environment in 2016, wherein they explored various alternatives for the regeneration of Marsa, including the Power Station site. The Faculty is of the opinion that while the demolition of the power station would clear up a tract of land that could be used to accommodate a wide range of uses, both commercial and civic, the value of the building itself is important as industrial and architectural heritage, and there is no reason why it cannot be preserved, and used as a spur for the redevelopment of the surrounding area. This opinion is shared by the Kamra tal-Periti.

Previous cohorts of students have studied this site and the building before, and proposals have ranged from a University Campus to cultural buildings – always conceived as the heart of a new town of Marsa. Why not build an Opera House or a Philarmonic Concert Hall on the area around. In their 2016 studies, students presented other proposals for the Power Station, including using it as an experimental aquaponics research centre, or a leisure amenity facility, including a Performing Arts resource in the underground tunnels adjacent. What about a modern art gallery, as was done with the Tate in London? The top of the tunnels would become a special type of park similar to those gradually appearing in Europe which link nature with art, as in Berlin’s former Tempelhof airport, or in Copenhagen’s Norrebro district. The whole complex could become the heart of a completely regenerated Marsa. The Kamra tal-Periti offers its availability and resources to assist Government in organising an ideas competition for the site, aimed at catalysing regeneration of this port town.

 

 

In November 2016, the Kamra tal-Periti had drawn attention to the old Gozo MMU Milk Plant, and had called upon the Planning Authority to safeguard this building of significant architectural quality, particularly in view of the recent destruction of the administration block of the ex-Dowty factory in Mrieħel, which building was also designed in the Modernist Style and which was demolished following approval of such demolition by the Planning Authority. Less than two weeks ago, the Planning Authority announced the scheduling of the Milk Plant, which was designed by renowned architect Joseph Huntingford, yet the same level of protection has regretfully not been afforded to the Marsa Power Station.

It is indeed disheartening that the Planning Authority has not yet undertaken a comprehensive study of our industrial areas which are rich in industrial and architectural assets that should be preserved. Such a study needs to be undertaken without delay, and the necessary procedures set in motion to preserve what is left of our country’s modern architectural and industrial heritage. The Kamra tal-Periti proposes that a joint committee should be established between the Planning Authority, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, Heritage Malta, NGOs and the Kamra itself in order to identify those buildings that and areas that merit preservation and sustainable regeneration.

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