Several NGOs intend to appeal the Planning Authority’s outrageous decision to demolish the historic British Barracks at Fort Chambray to make way for 105 residential units, an aparthotel with 64 rooms and 50 apartments, and other commercial facilities.

The NGOs are calling for the public’s support to help them fund the appeals to save Fort Chambray. The public is being encouraged to make donations to raise the funds needed from here: https://zaar.com.mt/projects/help-save-fort-chambray/.

The organisations slammed the Planning Authority’s blatant disregard for our historical heritage to allow greed to triumph and stressed that the decision to demolish the British Barracks is nothing short of a travesty. The absurd statements by the Ministry for Culture that the Fort Chambray development plans align with the vision of the Knights show that politicians have completely lost the plot. The growing chorus of protest over the desecration of our land and the anger over the evident collusion between the political class and developers are undoubtedly justified. The NGOs stated that they are ready to make use of any means provided for by law to stop the Fort Chambray development plans, which constitute a manifest violation of the laws safeguarding our cultural heritage.

The demolition and dismantling of the British Barracks, which date back to at least 1895, go against the Fort Chambray Development Brief, which clearly states that the Barracks, along with other historic sites within the Fort, are to be retained, restored and conserved. The British Barracks is the most iconic building inside the Fort that is first seen when approaching Mġarr Harbour from the sea. It is inconceivable that anybody would want to eradicate this image from our collective memory and identity. The proposal not only seeks to bury the façade of the Barracks behind a myriad of dwelling units, but includes a proposal to construct another three storeys over a new building sporting the re-assembled façade.

The omission of the British Barracks from scheduling — despite the various requests by Gozitan organisations to grant them due protection — and the decision of the Planning Authority’s CEO to take a vote on the application (PA 3884/23) for the development of Fort Chambray before a decision was taken on the application (PA 2454/16) proposing the demolition of the Barracks are some of the planning irregularities that characterised the Chambray saga. These irregularities seriously call into question the legal validity of the decisions concerning Chambray.

Fort Chambray stands as a symbol of the failures of both Nationalist and Labour administrations, who have left Fort Chambray to rot over the past 30 years of failed concessions. 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 new consortium. Although the Government had the right to take back Chambray since Caruana had not met the terms of the 2004 concession, the Government and the Opposition instead chose to hand it over to a new group of developers.

According to the latest agreement, the Government will also be responsible for the consolidation works of the terrain underlying the Fort, the restoration works, and the maintenance of the Fortifications. What this means, essentially, is that the people have not only been deprived of the right to enjoy their heritage, but they will also be funding the Fort’s restoration to allow developers to make huge profits out of it.

Neither the government nor any developer has the right to destroy part of Gozo and Malta’s history. The organisations insisted that they are ready to fight the wanton destruction of our heritage by any legal means available, and reiterated their call on the public for their support.

Organisations:
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Din l-Art Ħelwa – Għawdex
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Ramblers’ Association of Malta
The Archaeological Society Malta
Wirt Għawdex

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Għinuna Nsalvaw il-Forti Chambray

Għadd ta’ għaqdiet se jkunu qed jappellaw id-deċiżjoni insensata tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar li jitkissru l-Barracks storiċi tal-Ingliżi fil-Forti Chambray biex il-Forti jkun jista’ jiġi żviluppat f’kumpless mostruż ta’ 105 unità residenzjali, aparthotel b’64 kamra u 50 appartament, u faċilitajiet kummerċjali oħra.

L-għaqdiet qed jappellaw lill-pubbliku biex jgħinhom f’din il-ġlieda biex jiġi salvat il-Forti Chambray permezz tad-donazzjonijiet tiegħu. Il-pubbliku qed jiġi mħeġġeġ jagħti l-kontribut finanzjarju tiegħu sabiex jinġabru l-fondi meħtieġa għall-appelli billi jsegwi din il-ħolqa: https://zaar.com.mt/projects/help-save-fort-chambray/.

L-għaqdiet saħqu li d-deċiżjoni oxxena tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar li jiġi mkisser il-wirt storiku tagħna biex l-iżviluppaturi jkomplu jibnu aktar appartamenti għall-profitti privati qabżet kull limitu aċċettabbli. L-istqarrijiet assurdi mill-Ministeru tal-Kultura li l-pjanijiet ta’ żvilupp f’Chambray huma allinjati mal-viżjoni li l-Kavallieri kellhom għall-Forti huma konferma li l-klassi politika f’pajjiżna tilfet id-direzzjoni. Ir-rabja tal-poplu quddiem il-bejgħ ta’ artna u l-kollużjoni evidenti bejn il-politikanti u l-iżviluppaturi hija bla dubju waħda ġustifikata. Għalhekk, l-għaqdiet saħqu li huma se jkunu qed jirrikorru għall-mezzi mogħtija lilhom mil-liġi biex jiġu mwaqqfa l-pjanijiet għall-iżvilupp tal-Forti Chambray, liema pjanijiet jikkostitwixxu ksur ċar tal-liġijiet li jissalvagwardjaw il-patrimonju kulturali tagħna.

Id-deċiżjoni li jiġu mkissra l-Barracks tal-Ingliżi, li jmorru lura għal mill-inqas is-sena 1895, tmur kontra d-Development Brief tal-Forti Chambray, li tistabbilixxi li l-Barracks tal-Ingliżi, flimkien ma’ siti storiċi oħra fil-Forti, ma jistgħux jiġu mwaqqgħa, iżda għandhom jiġu miżmuma, irrestawrati u kkonservati. Il-Barracks tal-Ingliżi huma l-iktar binja ikonika fi ħdan il-Forti, u huma veduta familjari għal kull min ikun riesaq lejn il-port tal-Imġarr mill-baħar. Huwa inkonċepibbli kif dan il-wirt storiku se jiġi mħassar mill-memorja u l-identità kollettiva tagħna. Il-pjanijiet il-ġodda mhux biss iridu jidfnu l-faċċata tal-Barracks wara ċapep ta’ appartamenti iżda jridu wkoll jibnu tliet sulari ġodda fuq il-binja l-ġdida li se tinkorpora l-faċċata tal-Barracks.

In-nuqqas intenzjonat li jiġu skedati l-Barracks tal-Ingliżi — minkejja d-diversi talbiet mill-għaqdiet Għawdxin biex dawn jingħataw il-protezzjoni mistħoqqa — u d-deċiżjoni tas-CEO tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex l-ewwel tittieħed deċiżjoni fuq l-applikazzjoni (PA 3884/23) għall-iżvilupp tal-Forti Chambray — qabel ma kienet ittieħdet deċiżjoni dwar l-applikazzjoni (PA 2454/16) għat-tkissir tal-Barracks — huma uħud mill-irregolaritajiet fil-proċess tal-ippjanar li jixħtu dubju serju fuq il-validità tad-deċiżjonijiet.

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. 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 parti estensiva tal-art koperta mill-konċessjoni lil konsorzju ġdid. Minkejja li l-Gvern kellu ċ-ċans jieħu lura l-Forti Chambray għax Caruana ma kienx issodisfa t-termini tal-konċessjoni tal-2004, il-Gvern u l-Oppożizzjoni għażlu li l-Forti jerġa’ jgħaddi għand il-privat.

Skont l-aħħar kuntratt, il-Gvern impenja ruħu wkoll li se jkun responsabbli għax-xogħlijiet ta’ konsolidazzjoni tal-art taflija li fuqha huwa mibni l-Forti, għar-restawr tas-swar, u għall-manutenzjoni eventwali tal-Forti. Dan essenzjalment ifisser li l-poplu mhux biss ġie mċaħħad mid-dritt li jgawdi l-wirt storiku tiegħu, iżda se jkun ukoll qed iħallas għar-restawr tal-Forti mit-taxxi tiegħu sabiex l-iżviluppaturi jagħmlu profitti kbar minn fuqu.

La l-Gvern u la ebda żviluppatur m’għandhom dritt ikissru parti mill-istorja ta’ pajjiżna. L-għaqdiet insistew li huma lesti li jiġġieldu kontra dawn l-inġustizzji b’kull mezz legali possibbli, u appellaw lill-pubbliku għall-appoġġ tiegħu.

Għaqdiet:
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Din l-Art Ħelwa – Għawdex
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Ramblers’ Association of Malta
The Archaeological Society Malta
Wirt Għawdex