FAA voices its concern over the St Julian’s Local Council’s March 2009 decision to pursue its project to create a car park accomodating 130 cars in Balluta Square, and deplores the fact that this project was not discussed with local residents before being decided upon.
Established almost a century ago, Balluta Square is one of the few open spaces available to St Julian’s residents, offering pleasant shade beneath the trees’ spreading canopy. No amount of landscaping and compensatory planting would re-create the atmosphere of this treasured old square which is much sought-after by tourists. Some of the trees that would be jeaopardised by these plans are old protected Maltese oak (ballut) trees , which species gave the square and the locality its name. Too many established protected trees in the area have already been cut down to make way for large-scale developments along Balluta valley, projects which only take into account commercialisation, and fail miserably to consider any social and ecological negative impacts.
In view of the above, FAA calls on the authorities to issue an emergency conservation order on the old trees, along with scheduling of the old square. Given the proximity of Balluta Buidlings, one of Malta’s finest architectural landmarks, a scheduled Grade 1 monument, FAA also requests the designation of a protective buffer zone around this vulnerable old building.
