Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar is very pleased with MEPA's decision announced early this afternoon, to declare the area around Villa Bologna, known as Ta' Fgieni, Attard as a scheduled buffer zone.  FAA has campaigned strenuously for the preservation of Villa Bologna and its historic vistas as well as for the open space at Ta’ Fgieni, a campaign which was also supported by members of the Attard Local Council and Alternattiva Demokratika.

This news follows Villa Bologna's listing as a Grade 1 national monument late last month, and now guarantees restricted development of not more then 2 floors above street level within today's declared buffer zone, effectively securing the Villa's vistas, its gardens and surrounding boundary wall.  The buffer zone is also going to be implemented by widening the road that runs along the Villa Bologna back wall from five metres to ten metres.

While FAA would have wished for a full implementation of Local Plan policies which state that Attard is short of public open spaces, this measure at least guarantees a low skyline for its current and future residents and avoids the sense of enclosure of higher buildings. FAA looks forward to other similar initiatives to protect other buildings of architectural and historic merit all over Malta and Gozo.  This needs to be accompanied by more resources being given to the MEPA scheduling department in order to step up efforts to ensure that scheduled buildings are restored and maintained as they should be.  FAA also renews its call to Government to set up the long-overdue Heritage Fund, in order to give financial assistance to owners to look after their properties.

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar

12th August 2008