Għandha raġun Astrid Vella f’isem FAA (Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar) li ffukat fuq Villa Gwardamangia fil-konferenza stampa ta’ nhar is-Sibt li għadda. Għax il-wirt storiku tagħna hemm l-obbligu li nieħdu ħsiebu dejjem, irrispettivament minn min hu s-sid tiegħu. Veru li l-istat Malti jgħin. Imma s’issa għin lil min seta jgħin ruħu. Fejn sidien ta’ propjetà ma kellhomx ir-riżorsi neċessarji s’issa ma sar xejn. Jew kważi xejn.
Kien għalhekk inkuraġġanti li fl-ewwel reazzjoni tiegħu l-Gvern qal li qed ifittex soluzzjoni għall-problema ta’ Villa Gwardamangia. Tajjeb. Issa huwa importanti li s-soluzzjoni mhux biss ifittxuha, imma li nsibuha ukoll!
X’għandu jsir?
L-ewwel nett irridu nifhmu li mhux kull sid ta’ propjetà għandu biżżejjed riżorsi biex jieħu ħsieb din it tip ta propjetà.
It-tieni, jekk il-wirt storiku tagħna m’aħniex ser nieħdu ħsiebu bħala nazzjon dan ser ikompli jitmermer u b’hekk, biċċa biċċa, jintilef darba ghal dejjem.
It-tielet: l-istat għandu l-obbligu li ġaladarba jkun ikklassifika bini bħala protett għandu jassigura li dan il-bini jibqa’ f’kundizzjoni tajba. Ma jagħmilx sens li niċċaqalqu meta l-froġa tkun diġa saret.
Ir-raba’ huwa meta l-bini jingħata l-protezzjoni għall-ewwel darba li l-awtoritajiet għandhom jagħmlu l-verifiki jekk is-sidien tal-bini jistgħux jieħdu ħsiebu. Jekk f’dan l-istadju jistabilixxu li s-sidien ma jistgħux jieħdu ħsieb tal-bini allura l-awtoritajiet għandhom dak il-ħin jagħmlu l-arranġamenti alternattivi meħtieġa biex ikunu huma li jidħlu għal din ir-responsabbiltà. Il-Gvern għandu ħafna strumenti legali li jippermettulu jagħmel arranġamenti ta’ din ix-xorta.
Huwa biss b’dan il-mod li nistgħu nieħdu ħsieb sewwa tal-wirt storiku tagħna.
Fil-kaz ta’ Villa Gwardamangia din ġiet skedata fl-20 t’April 2001 (ara pjanta hawn taħt). L-iskedar ta’ propjeta’ fil-prattika jfisser li hemm limitazzjonijiet dwar xi żvilupp jista’ jsir fil-bini innifsu (inkluż alterazzjonijiet) u madwaru. Ikun tajjeb illi l-protezzjoni li l-MEPA tagħti lill-bini storiku jkun ifisser ukoll għarfien aħjar tal-obbligu li nżommu dan il-bini f’kundizzjoni tajba.
Il-mistoqsija loġika hi: matul dawn l-14-il sena x’sar mill-awtoritajiet biex jassiguraw ruħhom li Villa Gwardamangia tinżamm f’kundizzjoni tajba?
It-tweġiba ovvja hi : xejn. Għax li sar xi ħaga ma kienitx tkun fil-kundizzjoni li hi illum.
Ikun għaldaqstant xieraq li meta l-awtoritajiet Maltin jagħtu l-protezzjoni lill-bini storiku tagħna jieħdu ukoll passi biex jassiguraw ruħhom li dan ser jinżamm f’kundizzjoni tajba.
Blog ta' Carmel Cacopardo 
Dear Mr Cacopardo, Please forgive me for responding in English – blame the British Empire and the school I went to – I can read Maltese but my standard of writing is poor. A propos Villa Gwardamanga – I have been active on this matter with Astrid for several years and am so glad you have dealt with it so competently above. You make the case for the responsibility of the government and the nation to guard our heritage. I would like to mention Alhambra in Rudolph Street Sliema. My sister and I inherited half of it between us on my mother’s death. We were approached by Tumas who had bought the the other half without our knowledge and offered a price. Ultimately we received less than half of the original offer because a) we got the house listed by the Planning Authority at the time (c 1997); then we spotted they did not list the garden so made sure the garden was listed too. Then when it was safe we accept the offer and sold (we could not afford to buy Tumas out). The house then passed to Caqnu who left it empty, then to Vassallo. While in Caqnu’s ownership I contacted MEPA and reminded them of their responsibility to see the house preserved. A Preservation Order was placed and Caqnu had to restore it all within two years. Now Zaren Vassallo’s daughter and family live in it. I hope they are caring for it – we even saw to cleaning out the well before we sold. I give this as an illustration of what can be done – though we lost money on it, it was all to the good. It so happens that Galizia is my great grandfather – but that was not at all the main objective. Sorry this is long but I thought it would be useful to you. Ultimately every developer should be made to restore an old property (instead of their usual practice). They would still make money in the end. HCG
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/malta/11572954/Row-in-Malta-over-Queens-crumbling-former-home.html