A group of NGOs have expressed disappointment after the Planning Authority last week gave the go-ahead for a structure believed to be an old rural watchtower to be dismantled and moved to make way for a new road in Marsaxlokk.

The new road will link Triq Lepanto and Triq il-Kavallerizza.

The planning application was originally filed in 2020 and later revised with the new location moved to a site within the development zone. NGOs have been opposing the plans ever since they were announced. 

Marsaxlokk Heritage, Nature Trust–FEE Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Moviment Graffitti, Il-Kollettiv, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Wirt iż-Żejtun, and the Archaeological Society Malta said the plans are "an extreme measure that is both unjustified and irreversible”  and the new road is not needed.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage had concluded after a site inspection that claims regarding the site's use as a rural watchtower could not be substantiated. 

"Dismantling and relocating the Knights-era watchtower, or ‘barumbara’, will cause irreversible damage and erode its historical integrity," the NGOs insisted.

They also pointed out that the new road will cut through pristine farmland in Marsaxlokk, threatening biodiversity, disturbing groundwater systems, and adding pressure to Malta’s already struggling agricultural sector.

The NGOs also raised concerns about the broader impact of the project, including increased traffic, pollution, road safety risks for pedestrians, cyclists and wildlife, and the severing of a well-used rural path.