Government should buy back Fort Chambray barracks, Momentum says
Party backs calls to halt demolition and protect historic building
The government should buy back the British Barracks at Fort Chambray and stop their planned demolition, Momentum said on Friday.
The party backed calls by European heritage organisation Europa Nostra and Din l-Art Ħelwa to preserve the 19th-century building, saying the site should be protected and restored for public use.
Momentum said the government should immediately suspend demolition works, open talks to reacquire the barracks and surrounding land, and grant the building the highest level of heritage protection.
It also called for a long-term restoration and adaptive reuse project that would respect the site’s historic significance while creating new opportunities for the public.
Europa Nostra warned earlier this week that demolishing the barracks would lead to the irreversible loss of a site of “outstanding European architectural, cultural and historical significance”.
The organisation said the building remained structurally sound and could be reused without compromising its historic character. The barracks were included among Europa Nostra’s seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe for 2026.
Momentum executive member Matthew Agius said the issue went beyond Gozo and was of national and European importance.
He pointed to the government’s recent moves to reacquire Manoel Island, Fort Tigné, Fort San Salvatore and Fort Binġemma, arguing that the same approach should be taken at Fort Chambray.
“The government has the means to act,” Agius said, adding that those acquisitions showed intervention was possible when there was sufficient political will.
Momentum also referred to Prime Minister Robert Abela’s pre-election pledge that the government was prepared to acquire privately owned land or property when necessary to return important sites to the public.
The party said restoring Fort Chambray would strengthen Gozo’s cultural tourism offering and preserve an authentic landmark for future generations.
Its election manifesto proposes turning Fort Chambray into a national park.
The Planning Authority approved the demolition of the barracks as part of a redevelopment project, while Din l-Art Ħelwa lost a court challenge in May aimed at stopping the works.
Europa Nostra has questioned why the barracks were never scheduled as a protected building and said immediate scheduling could help bring Malta closer to international heritage conservation standards.