Former Labour minister Evarist Bartolo, ex-PL Xagħra mayor Christian Zammit and 13 Nationalist MPs are among hundreds of people calling for an emergency conservation order of Fort Chambray’s British Barracks.
In December, the Planning Authority approved an application to demolish most of the barracks. Among others, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage did not object to the demolition.
The plan aims to retain the façade and the flanks by dismantling them and shifting them further back, to incorporate them into a five-star hotel.
In response, the Coalition for Gozo – Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Għawdix and Wirt Għawdex – are seeking signatures for a request to issue an emergency conservation order on the barracks.
The request has signatures from 25 NGOs, two Gozitan local councils, Momentum and ADPD, two university organisations, 13 MPs, and around 700 others.
The Coalition for Gozo plans on sending this request to the PA tomorrow morning.
PN planning spokesperson Stanley Zammit also endorsed the request for an emergency conservation order even though he voted in favour of an agreement to allow for extensive parts of the site to be transferred to new investors.
A bi-partisan committee unanimously agreed, in 2024, to amend the original 2005 concession so that the original concessionaire – Gozitan businessman Michael Caruana – can sell the concession to a group of unnamed investors who are reportedly in negotiations over the site.
Opposition wants the project to continue and be completed
PN members on the committee Stanley Zammit and Alex Borg both voted in favour of the amendments, saying that the opposition “wants the project to continue and be completed”.
Borg did not endorse the emergency conservation order request.
The Għajnsielem local council also signed the request to issue a protection order on the barracks after having previously backed the demolition of the building.
An emergency conservation order is given to protect a building for a period of one year, while the PA evaluates what level of protection the building deserves.
If the building is assigned a schedule one protection, then almost nothing can be changed about the building.
If an emergency conservation order is given, then the building becomes protected for a year, and the owner is tasked with ensuring the building does not incur any more damage.
In this period, the PA must carry out a thorough assessment and decide what level of protection the property merits.
Anyone who wants to sign can send an e-mail to ghawdex@dinlarthelwa.org with name and ID card number.