The application has been withdrawn by the applicant for the construction of two terraced dwellings at Triq Tal-Qacca in Xaghra, a move that has been welcomed by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

The Superintendence said that it will now be proceeding with the necessary procedures for the scheduling of this site.

The proposed work would have included alterations and extensions to an existing farmhouse on the site, and the latest application had been recommended for refusal by the Planning Authority case officer.

SCH said that the site in question lies within the buffer zone of the Xaghra Stone Circle which is scheduled as a Class A archaeological site, and also within the Area of Archaeological Importance of Ggantija Temples, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

It had engaged heavily in the previous applications submitted on site – PA 4890/08 (outline permission) and PA 2039/14. In both applications the Superintendence said that it had emphasised the archaeological importance of the site, both as a resource, and as a landscape of archaeological importance.

The Superintendence said that an archaeological evaluation was carried out on site, during which significant archaeological discoveries consisting of two cavities containing fragmented human bone and prehistoric pottery were made.

“The red colour of the deposit may indicate the use of red ochre and the close proximity and similarity to the Xaghra stone circle is indicative that the use of these cavities was contemporary to that of the Xaghra Circle,” it said.

During the processing of the latest application on site (PA 4988/19), the Superintendence stated that it “objected strongly to the development in view of the impact this would have on the archaeological resource of the area.”

The Superintendence also informed the Planning Authority’s Executive Council that it would be proceeding with making a formal request for the scheduling of this site.

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