Three Gozitan NGOs — Din l-Art Ħelwa – Għawdex, Wirt Għawdex, and Għawdix — and Moviment Graffitti have strongly condemned the Planning Authority’s haste to recommend the destruction and development of Fort Chambray for approval. Just 3 weeks after the direct action carried out by the NGOs at Fort Chambray, the Planning Authority issued two recommendations for approval: one for the demolition of the historic British Barracks, and another for the development of Fort Chambray into an aparthotel, apartment blocks and commercial facilities. A decision on both applications will be taken on the 12th of December.

The recommendations for approval were issued despite around 1,400 objections against the demolition of the British Barracks, and despite the various requests by the Gozitan NGOs for the scheduling and due protection of the Barracks — which date back to circa 1895. Even the Gozo Regional Development Authority has taken a clear stance against the demolition of the Chambray Barracks, stressing that Gozo’s heritage should be protected and preserved because it is a vital part of Gozo’s identity.

Such destruction of our heritage constitutes a violation of the Cultural Heritage Act of the Laws of Malta, and runs counter to PA Circular 3/20 (6.5), which protects the context of scheduled buildings. Fort Chambray, a historic citadel fortress, is a scheduled Grade 1 Fort, and is comprised almost exclusively of Grade 1 and 2 scheduled historic buildings. The PA and the SCH are treating Fort Chambray as simply an infill building site with scant consideration for its historic, cultural and architectural value.

The proposal to demolish the British Barracks moreover violates the Fort Chambray Development Brief’s Existing Buildings Retention Policy, which states that the Barracks, along with other historic sites within the Fort, are to be retained, restored and conserved.

Despite misleading claims that the Barracks are in poor condition, the Barracks are still in a very salvageable state and should be restored and converted into a cultural hub or repurposed for sustainable tourism.

Fort Chambray stands as a symbol of the failures of both Nationalist and Labour administrations, who over the past 30 years of failed concessions, have left Fort Chambray to rot as they handed it over to different developers. The betrayal of the Gozitan and Maltese people could not have been clearer last June, when both the Government and the Opposition voted in favour of a Parliamentary resolution to allow the original concessionaire Michael Caruana to sell the government concession and transfer extensive tracts of land to a group of other developers.

Moreover, the Government will be responsible for the consolidation works of the terrain underlying the Fort, the restoration works, and the maintenance of the Fortifications. Essentially, this means that the people will be paying for the restoration of the Fort to allow the developers to pocket millions out of it.

The Gozitan NGOs and Moviment Graffitti once again call on the Government to halt the plans for Fort Chambray and to do the right thing. They reiterated that if the Planning Authority is allowed to do whatever it wants, they are ready to take the necessary actions to make those responsible for the destruction of our heritage answer before the law.

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Il-Forti Chambray tal-poplu, u mhux tal-iżviluppaturi: ieqfu eqirdu l-wirt tagħna!

Tliet għaqdiet Għawdxin — Din l-Art Ħelwa – Għawdex, Wirt Għawdex, u Għawdix — u l-Moviment Graffitti qed jikkundannaw bil-qawwa l-għaġla tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex tapprova l-qerda u l-iżvilupp insensat tal-Forti Chambray. 3 ġimgħat biss wara l-azzjoni simbolika li l-għaqdiet wettqu fil-Forti Chambray, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar ħarġet żewġ rakkomandazzjonijiet ta’ approvazzjoni: waħda għat-tkissir tal-Barracks storiku tal-Ingliżi, u oħra għall-iżvilupp tal-Forti Chambray f’aparthotel, blokok t’appartamenti u faċilitajiet kummerċjali oħra. Id-deċiżjoni fuq iż-żewġ applikazzjonijiet se tittieħed fit-12 ta’ Diċembru.

Ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet għall-approvazzjoni ħarġu minkejja li ntbagħtu mal-1,400 oġġezzjoni mill-poplu kontra t-tkissir tal-Barracks tal-Ingliżi, u minkejja d-diversi talbiet mill-għaqdiet Għawdxin biex il-Barracks tal-Ingliżi — li jmorru mill-inqas lura għas-sena 1895 — jiġu skedati u jingħataw il-protezzjoni mistħoqqa. Saħansitra l-Gozo Regional Development Authority kienet ħadet pożizzjoni ċara kontra t-tkissir tal-Barracks f’Chambray, u enfasizzat li l-wirt storiku t’Għawdex għandu jiġi protett u preservat għax huwa essenzjali għall-identità Għawdxija.

Din il-qerda tal-wirt storiku tagħna tikkostitwixxi ksur tal-Att dwar il-Patrimonju Kulturali tal-Liġijiet ta’ Malta, u tmur kontra ċ-Ċirkolari tal-PA 3/20 (6.5), li tistabbilixxi l-protezzjoni tal-kuntest ta’ binjiet skedati. Il-Forti Chambray huwa skedat bħala Forti ta’ Grad 1, u jikkonsisti minn għadd ta’ binjiet storiċi li huma skedati bħala Grad 1 u 2. Minkejja l-implikazzjonijiet ovvji ta’ dan, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar u s-Sovrintendenza tal-Patrimonju Kulturali qed jittrattaw il-Forti bħala sit li jista’ jinbena kollox fih, bl-ebda konsiderazzjoni għall-valur storiku, kulturali u arkitettoniku tiegħu.

Il-proposta għat-tkissir tal-Barracks tal-Ingliżi tmur ukoll kontra l-Politika taż-Żamma ta’ Binjiet Eżistenti tad-Development Brief tal-Forti Chambray, li tistabbilixxi b’mod ċar li l-Barracks tal-Ingliżi, flimkien ma’ siti storiċi oħra fil-Forti, ma jistgħux jiġu mwaqqgħa, iżda għandhom jiġu miżmuma, irrestawrati u kkonservati.

Minkejja dikjarazzjonijiet qarrieqa li l-Barracks jinsabu fi stat ħażin, il-Barracks għadhom f’kundizzjoni tajba ħafna u jistgħu faċilment jiġu rrestawrati u mibdula f’sit kulturali jew ta’ turiżmu sostenibbli.

Il-Forti Chambray huwa eżempju klassiku tal-fallimenti ta’ amministrazzjonijiet Nazzjonalisti u Laburisti, li tul dawn l-aħħar 30 sena ta’ konċessjonijiet falluti lill-privat ħallew lill-Forti Chambray jitmermer waqt li għaddewh lil żviluppaturi differenti biex jagħmlu l-profitt minn fuqu. It-tradiment tal-poplu Għawdxi u Malti ħareġ ċar f’Ġunju li għadda, meta kemm il-Gvern u l-Oppożizzjoni vvutaw favur riżoluzzjoni fil-Parlament biex il-konċessjonarju oriġinali Michael Caruana jitħalla jbigħ il-konċessjoni tal-gvern u jittrasferixxi parti estensiva tal-art koperta mill-konċessjoni lil grupp ta’ żviluppaturi kbar oħrajn.

Barra minn hekk, il-Gvern se jkun responsabbli għax-xogħlijiet ta’ konsolidazzjoni tal-art li fuqha huwa mibni l-Forti, għar-restawr, u għall-manutenzjoni eventwali tal-Forti. Essenzjalment, dan ifisser li l-poplu se jkun qed iħallas mit-taxxi tiegħu għar-restawr tal-Forti sabiex l-iżviluppaturi jkomplu jistagħnew minn fuqu.

L-għaqdiet Għawdxin u l-Moviment Graffitti qed jerġgħu jappellaw lill-Gvern biex iwaqqaf il-pjanijiet għall-Forti Chambray u jagħmel dak li hu ġust. Huma tennew li jekk l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar se tkompli titħalla tagħmel li trid, huma lesti li jieħdu l-azzjonijiet meħtieġa biex min hu responsabbli mill-qerda tal-wirt tagħna jitressaq quddiem il-ġustizzja.