PA illegally approved demolition of Sea Malta building, court rules

Updated 12.15pm with KTP reaction The Planning Authority illegally allowed the former Sea Malta Building to be demolished, disregarding the law and persisting in making matters worse instead of fixing its mistakes, a court has concluded.  In a damning judgement which lambasted the PA and its former boss Johann Buttigieg, the court found that the authority had illegally demolished the building by relying on a report filed by an Enemalta architect, rather than appointing one of its own.  The Planning Authority deserved to be “strongly rebuked” if it considered itself to be “above the law,” the court declared as it annulled the demolition order that the PA had issued five years ago.  Most of the building has since been demolished, with demolition works starting in November 2017. The facade has been retained.  The demolition of the ex-NAAFI building, a fine example of modernist architecture situated along Xatt tal-Għassara tal-Għeneb, Marsa, was sought by Enemalta plc by means of an application for a Development (Removal of Danger) Order to the Planning Authority in 2017. The Chamber of Architects immediately stepped in to save the architectural gem which also happened to be within...