Tribunal rejects NGO appeals against Fort Chambray redevelopment
Demolition, partial relocation of barracks can go ahead, EPRT rules
The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) has rejected appeals made by NGO Din L-Art Ħelwa’s against the Planning Authority’s decision to sanction the demolition of the British-era barracks at Fort Chambray and the wider redevelopment of the Għajnsielem landmark.
The application – filed by Gozitan developer Michael Caruana on behalf of Fort Chambray Ltd – includes a five-star hotel, apartment blocks and commercial facilities.
The plans approved in 2024 allow for the dismantling of the barracks, with parts of it to be reconstructed elsewhere within the site, alongside the development of a five-star hotel, apartments and commercial outlets.
The barracks have also drawn international attention after being included on a list of Europe’s most endangered heritage sites earlier this year. Campaigners warned that the planned demolition represents an irreversible loss of cultural heritage and urged authorities to reconsider the approved plans.
The PA's decision triggered a coordinated response from organisations including Din l-Art Ħelwa, Wirt Għawdex and Moviment Graffitti, which argued that the barracks form an integral part of the fort’s historic fabric and should be preserved in situ. NGOs also mounted a fundraising campaign to finance an appeal against the permit and called for urgent intervention to safeguard the site.
In November 2024, activists stormed the site, calling for the landmark to be returned to the public, before carrying out a similar action in February 2025.
A parliamentary decision earlier in 2024 approved changes to the original concession governing the site, effectively paving the way for parts of the project to be transferred to new investors.
Granted on a 99-year concession in 1993, the project has repeatedly stalled and changed hands over the years, leaving large sections of the historic fort undeveloped and in a state of neglect. Proponents of the current plans argue that the latest proposal offers a viable path to finally regenerate the site.