We spend most of our lives within the built environment, be it at home, at a place of work, or whilst participating in education, business or relaxation. The state of the built environment has a major impact on the quality of life of all the citizens of these islands.

Rapid changes are taking place, dramatically and irreversibly transforming the distinctive architectural character, streetscape, and skyline of our towns and villages, which have evolved harmoniously over several generations, and which are now being severely compromised and even at risk of being lost. We are now witnessing indiscriminate demolition of built and other cultural assets, and a general impoverishment of the quality of our urban areas.

We must stand up to this onslaught. Today, a group of 22 entities have come together to sign a declaration calling for the preservation of our built heritage.

We chose today as it is the International Day for Monuments and Sites, and the theme for this year is “Heritage for Generations.” The Declaration we are signing is titled: Our Legacy – Wirtna. Our fundamental message is that how we treat our heritage is the legacy we leave for future generations.

We invite other entities who wish to subscribe to this Declaration to get in touch with any of the signatories for further information on how to join this endeavour.

Please find attached the full declaration together with the list of signatories.