“Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming, in turn, a victim of this degradation” (Laudato Si’, encyclical of Pope Francis, 2015).
In my long tenure as mayor of the small village of San Lawrenz, I have made frequent and earnest appeals to the relevant authorities and to the public to raise awareness regarding the ever-deteriorating situation arising from the construction of huge buildings that are ruining Gozo.
All villages, without exception, are threatened mercilessly. The cranes are in our backyard! A photo of a monstrous building with the Xewkija Rotunda church in the background, repeatedly shown in the media, says it all. Land developers seem to have struck gold.
There seems to be no limit to their mad, speculative scramble to construct whatever they deem profitable and wherever they can get hold of.
Their financial resources seem limitless. Respect for the environment is not in their mindset. It’s all about gain at the expense of the common good.
St John Paul II warned that human beings frequently seem “to see no other meaning in their natural environment than what serves for immediate use and consumption”.
Instead of focusing our attention on sustainability, green energy, preservation of the countryside, especially green areas, waste differentiation, we, the mayors of Gozo, have found ourselves on the defence: trying to salvage the identity of our villages.
The beauty of Gozo must be constantly protected for us and for future generations. In the same encyclical Laudato Si’ quoted above, Pope Francis stresses the importance of beauty, on simply beholding something for the sake of itself and not for any pragmatic use. “If someone has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be used and abused without scruple.”
Xlendi Bay is a case in point. We may say that Xlendi is gone for ever. Throughout the last 40 years, this picturesque bay has been so badly mangled that it can barely be recognised when compared with nostalgic photos of the old bay. Box-like concrete structures have immensely downgraded its natural beauty as a typical fishing village.
Land is being taken up by greedy developers not to benefit local communities but to make more and more money no matter what- Noel Formosa
To add insult to injury, taller buildings are being constructed and proposed to the already compromised left side of Xlendi Valley. It will surely be the death knell for Xlendi.
It is just not right that the greed of a few land developers be appeased to the detriment of the large majority of the population, helplessly witnessing the disastrous deterioration of our beautiful island.
The official policies on land development meant to safeguard the common good are playing into the hands of these unscrupulous developers.
This rapid and indiscriminate building on every space available is undermining our communities. Developers and buyers from outside the area are taking advantage of the loosening of rules and buying properties at exorbitant prices. For locals wanting to buy, it has made a difficult situation worse.
A real injustice is happening here. Our communities are dwindling, with dire consequences. Local residents fear losing schools, sporting and cultural activities, shops and other essential services as the number of permanent residents declines.
It boils down to this: land is being taken up by greedy developers not to benefit local communities but to make more and more money no matter what. This makes it next to impossible for new families to acquire a house in their community.
This unbearable situation has other implications: less parking space, more problems with rubbish collection, the nuisance of young revellers on weekend breaks. And old people in their homes simply do not feel safe.
The mad rush to build new apartments, encased in tall buildings, comes at the expense of the unique architectural beauty of our villages. Their skyline, topography and identity are going to be lost forever.
Gozitan mayors welcome the support provided by the various Gozitan NGOs, such as the Gozo Business Association and the Gozo Tourism Association, and, especially, by the President of the Republic, which gives momentum to our cause.
Finally, a stern warning from Pope Francis (Laudato Si’, 214): “Because the stakes are so high, we need institutions empowered to impose penalties for damage inflicted on the environment. But we also need the personal qualities of self-control and willingness to learn from one another.”
Noel Formosa is mayor of San Lawrenz.