The Times on Monday 24 th September reported Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino’s announcement that the Wooden Balconies Subsidy Scheme is being extended to all localities and that it will be available without means testing, meaning that anyone can benefit from the scheme irrespective of one’s financial income.
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) welcomes this extension to the subsidy scheme as it feels this will provide a much-needed incentive to people to keep their traditional wooden balconies in good repair and even to change the aluminium ones for traditional wooden balconies; in this case the use of materials sourced from sustainable suppliers would be a preferable choice.
During recent debates prior to the upcoming budget, FAA asked that funding be made available not only for balconies but also for schemes promoting the restoration and upkeep of old buildings, beginning with those already scheduled. Such a scheme, called the Land Tribunal and Trust, was actually outlined in the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands launched in 1990 but to date this scheme has not been implemented.
FAA hopes that the extension to the balconies scheme is a forerunner of the Land Tribunal and Trust through which so many of Malta’s Urban Conservation Areas and historic cities such as Mdina, Birgu, Floriana and Valletta stand to benefit.
24 th September 2007
Photo Caption: Villa Guardamangia in Pieta is one of many scheduled properties which are in an advanced state of disrepair. However is it fair to expect owners to pay for costly restoration without any form of state aid?
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