BCA orders demolition of farmhouse close to Ġgantija to stop

The Building & Construction Authority has issued a stop works notice on a site within the Ġgantija buffer zone where a vernacular farmhouse was being demolished to be replaced by an apartment block.

The notice was issued on Saturday, after demolition of the farmhouse on the site had begun and it bans any works from taking place on the site.

The BCA said in its notice that works were being stopped because the works that had been carried out were not being carried out in accordance with the Demolition Method Statement provided as part of the development.

The BCA said that further investigation will take place into the matter.

The development will see the existing farmhouse demolished – except for its façade which, according to a method statement will be dismantled by hand and rebuilt – and replaced by a block of 22 apartments and 20 garages.

The development came with extreme controversy as it is located within the UNESCO-established buffer zone for Ġgantija Temples – which is the oldest freestanding structure in the world.  The application garnered objections from over 1,800 people and a myriad of NGOs, but was approved by the Planning Authority late last April.

Clearance for work to begin was issued on 8 June and videos shared by the media on Saturday showed demolition works on the farmhouse beginning.

Work was however halted later that same day through the BCA’s stop notice.

The project’s architect Samuel Formosa filed a request on behalf of the project developer Emmanuel Farrugia with the BCA on Saturday, wherein he requested that works to prop the façade of the property up could continue so it could be safeguarded and so any possible danger to third parties is eliminated.

It is not clear whether the request was accepted.  As of Monday afternoon, the BCA was yet to allow works to re-commence.

RSS Feed Source: Independent Malta BCA orders demolition of farmhouse close to Ġgantija to stop