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The latest phase of the development of Fort Chambray – which after 30 years of controversial concessions to the private sector is still in a state of total abandonment – wants to transform the Fort and the historic sites within it into a huge complex consisting of a hotel, apartments, restaurants, shops, clubs and bars, among others.
Fort Chambray, which was built by the Knights and was originally meant to be a fortified Baroque city, was left to decay by both Nationalist and Labour Governments, both of whom were complicit in handing the Fort over to the private sector in very questionable circumstances. After years of neglect, it is now being handed over to a group of business and construction tycoons.
Despite the fact that the Government had the chance to take back Fort Chambray after the original concessionaire Michael Caruana repeatedly failed to honor the terms of the 2005 concession, the Government failed to do so, instead allowing Caruana to transfer extensive parts of the site to a group of developers and businessmen.
The areas which can be transferred include almost 37,000 square meters of land earmarked for the aparthotel and apartments, and another 21,000 square meters of land that contains structures of historical value, including the Naval Bakery and the Knights’ Barracks. The latest development application is proposing to build an aparthotel with 64 rooms and 50 serviced apartments, 105 residential units, and two levels of underground parking with 319 garages. The British barracks will be partially dismantled and demolished to accommodate the development. The Knights’ Barracks will be turned into retail outlets, restaurants and other facilities. The Knights’ Polverista, a historic and unique architectural structure, will be transformed into a bar, while the Naval Bakery is set to become a clubhouse.
Despite the prevailing sentiment of the people against insensitive and unrestrained development, against the havoc wreaked on the infrastructure and on our quality of life due to the excess of development, and against the senseless destruction of our heritage, the Government is refusing to change direction and continues to appease developers’ interests.
The present Government could easily have seized the opportunity to restore and breathe life into the Fort after the terms of the concession were not met. Contrary to misleading statements by a Nationalist MP who voted in favor of the last concession, it is the Government who is responsible for restoring the Fort’s bastions with taxpayers’ money, and not the private sector. The private sector will simply be given free rein to make a fortune out of the Fort.
The Fort, which deserves to be protected for its historical heritage value, can be regenerated and transformed by the Government in a way that respects its historical context. But instead, the Government and the Opposition want us to have more boring and uninspiring blocks of apartments that will serve only the interests of business and construction magnates.
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Agħtu l-Forti Chambray Lura lill-Poplu
L-aħħar fażi tal-iżvilupp tal-Forti Chambray – li wara 30 sena ta’ konċessjonijiet kontroversjali lill-privat għadu fi stat ta’ abbandun totali – qed tipproponi li tittrasforma l-Forti u s-siti storiċi ta’ ġo fih ġo kumpless enormi li jikkonsisti minn lukanda, appartamenti, ristoranti, ħwienet, clubs u bars, fost oħrajn.
Il-Forti Chambray, li nbena mill-Kavallieri u oriġinarjament kellu jkun belt Barokka ffortifikata, tħalla jitmermer minn Gvernijiet Nazzjonalisti u Laburisti – li t-tnejn kienu kompliċi li għaddew il-Forti lill-privat f’ċirkostanzi dubjużi ferm – biex issa qed jingħata fuq platt tal-fidda lil grupp ta’ negozjanti u żviluppaturi kbar.
Minkejja l-fatt li l-Gvern kellu ċ-ċans jieħu lura l-Forti Chambray mill-privat wara li n-negozjant Michael Caruana ripetutament naqas li jonora t-termini tal-konċessjoni tal-2005, il-Gvern ma għamilx dan u minflok ippermetta lil Caruana jittrasferixxi partijiet estensivi tas-sit lil negozjanti kbar oħra.
Iż-żoni inklużi fit-trasferiment jinkludu kważi 37,000 metru kwadru ta’ art allokata għal-lukanda u l-appartamenti, u 21,000 metru kwadru oħra ta’ art li tinkludi strutturi ta’ valur storiku, inkluż il-Forn tal-Ingliżi u l-Kwartieri tal-Kavallieri. L-aħħar applikazzjoni ta’ żvilupp qed tipproponi li tinbena lukanda b’64 kamra u 50 appartament, 105 unità residenzjali, u żewġ livelli ta’ parkeġġ taħt l-art bi 319-il garaxx. Il-barracks tal-Ingliżi se jiġu parzjalment imkissra u mwaqqgħa biex jakkomodaw l-iżvilupp. Is-sit li kien iservi bħala l-Kwartieri tal-Kavallieri se jinbidel fi ħwienet, ristoranti u faċilitajiet oħra. Il-Polverista tal-Kavallieri, struttura storika u unika fil-forma tagħha, se tiġi ttrasformata f’bar, filwaqt li l-Forn tal-Ingliżi se jsir clubhouse.
Minkejja s-sentiment ġenerali tal-poplu kontra l-iżvilupp insensittiv u bla rażan, kontra l-ħerba li l-eċċess tal-iżvilupp bla ħsieb qed iħalli fuq l-infrastruttura u l-kwalità ta’ ħajjitna, u kontra l-qerda insensata tal-wirt storiku tagħna, il-Gvern qed ikompli jgħaddas rasu fir-ramel biex ipaxxi lill-iżviluppaturi u n-negozjanti l-kbar.
Il-Gvern tal-ġurnata seta’ faċilment ħataf l-opportunità li jirrestawra u jagħti lura l-ħajja lill-Forti Chambray wara li t-termini tal-konċessjoni ma ġewx milħuqa. Għall-kuntrarju ta’ stqarrijiet qarrieqa minn deputat Nazzjonalista li vvota favur l-aħħar konċessjoni, huwa l-Gvern, mit-taxxi tal-poplu, li huwa responsabbli li jirrestawra s-swar madwar il-Forti, u mhux il-privat. Il-privat sempliċiment se jitħalla jistagħna minn fuq il-Forti.
Il-Forti, li jistħoqqlu jiġi protett għall-valur ta’ patrimonju storiku tiegħu, jista’ jiġi rriġenerat u ttrasformat mill-Gvern b’mod li jirrispetta l-kuntest storiku tiegħu. Iżda minflok, il-Gvern u l-Oppożizzjoni jridu li jkollna lukanda u blokka appartamenti oħra li minnhom se jgawdu biss in-negozjanti u l-iżviluppaturi l-kbar.
