Three environmental and heritage NGOs, which teamed up to fight “the many outrageous developments” negatively impacting Gozo, have demanded an investigation into what they described as the “Xlendi madness”.
Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Għawdix and Wirt Għawdex said the Planning Authority should conduct an independent investigation into how the permits for the demolition and redevelopment of old boathouses in Xlendi were granted with blatant disregard to any sense of aesthetics, scale and context.
They said they could not accept that the old structures housing the Stone Crab and Boathouse restaurants were demolished in an area that was “the last remaining corner of sanity in one of the most loved bays in the Maltese islands – Xlendi”.
The demolition of the old boathouses to develop both sites into large scale buildings was the subject of various news articles and statements by NGOs and led to an outburst of public outrage and anger.
“This latest act of madness in the saga of Gozo overdevelopment hit the international news with a prominent article published in Britain’s The Telegraph, titled ‘Malta's beloved historic buildings come tumbling down amid government “orgy of development”.
“The item in The Telegraph is just the latest in a recent string of articles on British, European and global news publications casting a dark shadow over our tourism sector,” the coalition said in a statement.
“This vital industry – for both Malta and Gozo – is being severely threatened.
“Such bad press about the downhill trend in our tourism infrastructure should be sounding alarm bells everywhere in our country, especially when competing tourist destinations are upgrading and improving their environment and tourist product,” it added.
It said that similar developments are severely diminishing the quality of life of Gozo residents who, as a result, are being forced to suffer incessant noise and further uglification of their island.
The coalition demanded that the government and the Planning Authority recognise the gravity of the situation and address it with utmost urgency.
It said the construction work in Xlendi be stopped immediately while an independent investigation is under way. The development was approved despite objections by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, among others.
The coalition said it found it difficult to understand how the proposed projects went completely unnoticed.
It said that if the investigation concluded that the projects were breaching planning standards, the permit must be rescinded and the PA “must carry responsibility for any damage resulting from these actions”.
“The future of the country's economy must not be held to ransom by such outrageously inappropriate developments and the right thing must be done.
“The common good should be the ultimate yardstick by which the negative impact of any such proposed development is measured,” the coalition said.