Tarxien’s Villa Barbaro: PA ‘makes mockery’ of buffer zone protection – Din L-Art Ħelwa

Din l-Art Ħelwa has strongly condemned the decision by the Planning Authority to declare a so-called buffer zone for the area opposite the historic Grade 1 scheduled Villa Barbaro, in Żejtun Road, Tarxien, giving it "protective" height limitation of 15.4 metres.

Din l-Art Ħelwa (DLH) said this translated to a shocking 5 floors in a streetscape currently enjoying two floor status. Villa Barbaro is one of Malta's oldest standing country houses, predating the Great Siege of Malta.

Din l-Art Ħelwa has requested the immediate reduction of this maximum height Limitation of 15.4 metres allocated to the Buffer Zone around Villa Barbaro in Tarxien to the recommended two floors.

It said a PA statement issued on 12 August was “clearly intended to mislead the public into thinking that it indeed has provided protection,” adding that it is “extremely deceptive” that this important detail, of the maximum height of 15.4 metres for the buffer zone, is buried in the Government Gazzette publication, effectively hidden from the public.

“The Planning Authority knows very well that a height of 15.4 metres, whilst appearing in Annex 2 of DC15 as a three-floor limitation, effectively translates to a shocking 5 floors.”

It referred to a report by Perit Edward Said, commissioned by the PA itself, which states that “permissible development of more than 2 floors opposite this heritage monument will have a highly detrimental impact and will reduce to almost negligibility the concept of a buffer zone."

“The maximum height limitation of 15.4 metres that has just been permitted is more than double the height of Villa Barbaro and makes an entire mockery of the very concept of buffer zones and contextual protection,” DLH said.

“It effectively amounts to an open invitation to destroy the spatial context of this unique country Villa, by burying it under 5 storey apartment blocks. Furthermore, this so-called ‘buffer zone’ is now in defiance of the PA’s own guidelines, potentially catalysing the redevelopment of a two-storey street into an entire street of 5 storey development directly across the road from the Grade 1 Villa Barbaro. This is a very dangerous precedent for any properties supposedly benefitting from buffer zone protection.”

Din l-Art Ħelwa called on the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage to exercise its legal overriding rights in protection of historical buildings, and to veto this maximum height limitation. The Superintendence has only recently, in connection with an application for excessively high development opposite the Villa, objected on the basis that this heritage property still “lies in a streetscape of 2 storey development", and that “views of historic buildings and adjoining gardens are to be protected.”

“The Authority needs to be reminded of its own recent guidelines within PA circular 3/20. If the PA does not follow its own guidelines, who will?” DLH asked.