Four NGOs are calling on people to formally object to the planned demolition of Fort Chambray's Married Quarters British Barracks, which they say is one of Malta's oldest and only British barracks in Gozo.
Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Għawdix, Moviment Graffitti, and Wirt Għawdex said the proposal to dismantle the British Barracks screen (or arcade) and demolish the rest is "deeply concerning" and violates the Fort Chambray Development Brief's Existing Buildings Retention Policy.
"Calling the south-facing portico a ‘screen’ and suggesting its relocation is misleading. The portico is a vital architectural element, providing shade and ventilation. Describing the barracks as ‘derelict’ overlooks their restoration potential," they said in a statement on Wednesday.
"In Malta, most British barracks, such as Imtarfa, Pembroke, and St George’s, have protection status. Fort Chambray’s British barracks are unique in Gozo, and the only ones within a Knight's period fortification, making their lack of protection unacceptable."
Last month, Times of Malta reported that the vision of turning Fort Chambray in Gozo into a high-end destination has been reignited after years of neglect and inaction.
Two planning applications have been submitted to take down more than 60 unfinished apartments and construct a hotel and new apartments in a resumption of a project that goes back decades.
But in April, Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Għawdix and Wirt Għawdex had already requested the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the Planning Authority to schedule the British Barracks at Fort Chambray.
On Wednesday the NGOs said the processing of the demolishing of the British barracks and development permission application for Phase 3 development (PA 03884/23) should be suspended until the scheduling application is resolved.
An emergency conservation order should also be issued to protect the Fort Chambray's British barracks.
They noted that the description of works by TBA Periti Architects in the PA application (PA/02454/16) from eight years ago, which were resurfacing again now, stated ‘Dismantling of British Barracks as part of Fort Chambray phase 3 development (with a view of incorporating the arcade in the future hotel building)'.
The description for development permission by Studiourban Architects for last year's application for Phase 3 development of Fort Chambray (PA/03884/23) meanwhile proposes the ‘demolition of the existing vacant British Barracks... ‘.
"Why the term ‘vacant’ was inserted is unclear. Does it mean that nobody is residing there and therefore it can be safely demolished? The barracks are still in a very salvageable state and should be preserved and restored.
"Clearly, the intention is to demolish the building and retain and relocate the portico or ‘arcade’ as referred to in the 2016 proposal description," they added.
The NGOs also pointed out there were no tourism projects planned for the footprint of the British barracks in Fort Chambray once it was demolished.
Instead, the plan was to build as many maisonettes as possible to sell to the highest bidder, allowing the new developers, who took over Phase 3 from the previous concessionaire Dr Michael Caruana, to pocket millions of euros, they claimed.
"This must not happen! Neither the government nor any developer has the right to destroy part of Gozo and Malta’s history that belongs to all of us and our future generations.
"The spacious rooms in the married quarters barracks should be repurposed to serve the community rather than private interests. This could be a win-win situation: history restored, preserved, and reused for sustainable tourism and Gozo's cultural enrichment, with the barracks serving alternatively as a boutique hotel and/or cultural centre, community hub, educational facility, and art studio."
The NGOs warned in their statement that the representation expiry date is this Friday, July 26, at midnight.