Joint Press Statement 15.02.2025

Today the Coalition for Gozo, together with Moviment Graffitti and Din l-Art Ħelwa, carried out a direct action to shed light on the imminent threat to Fort Chambray due to the failure to introduce the planning appeals law reform.

The organisations announced that thanks to public financial contributions, they have just filed two appeals against the two irregular permits issued by the Planning Authority. They also filed a request to suspend construction works while the appeal is ongoing. However, due to a flawed appeals law — that remains unchanged despite the Prime Minister’s promise of reform — the Planning Tribunal (EPRT) may refuse this request. This may result in the demolition of the historic British Barracks and the commencement of construction works at Fort Chambray while the appeal is underway.

This legal anomaly — which persists to this day due to powerful interests actively opposing the reform — is leading to gross injustices. There have been numerous cases where the Planning Authority approved blatantly illegal developments, which were then allowed to be built while an appeal was ongoing, only to have their permits later revoked by the Court. This led to a surge of developments that were declared illegal by the Court when they had already been built.

Today’s direct action wanted to highlight the risk of this absurd situation repeating itself at Fort Chambray.

Speaking in front of the historic British Barracks, the organisations stressed that the two permits issued for the development of Fort Chambray blatantly violate multiple planning policies. The permits are in breach of the Development Brief, while the planning process was characterised by several irregularities. The NGOs also stated that they had submitted multiple requests to grant scheduling protection to the barracks, all of which were ignored. Recently, the Coalition for Gozo also submitted an Emergency Conservation Order request for the British Barracks, which received the backing of over 800 signatories, including the Għajnsielem Local Council, 25 NGOs, numerous academics and a number of high-profile politicians.

Despite these efforts, all attempts to safeguard Fort Chambray’s historic heritage may prove futile. If the Planning Tribunal refuses the request for suspension of works, today may very well be the last day that we see an important part of our heritage still standing. If the appeals law reform is not introduced, then all efforts by civil society against an unjust planning system will be in vain.

The Fort Chambray case exemplifies how the government continues to favour powerful interests, even at the cost of destroying national heritage for private financial gain. The government has also agreed to cover the costs of land consolidation, restoration, and maintenance of the fortifications — expenses that will ultimately benefit private developers — using taxpayer money. This project offers nothing back to the public. The latest contract, approved by Parliament in June 2024, provides no guarantee of public access to Fort Chambray, strongly indicating that the sole objective is to maximise private profits by developing the fort into a massive residential and commercial complex.

The organisations renewed their urgent call for immediate reform of the appeals law, ensuring that the public’s right to challenge illegalities is truly upheld, rather than further eroding the rule of law. They concluded the direct action at Fort Chambray with a firm warning: if the request to suspend construction works is refused, they are ready to take direct action to stop the destruction of our heritage.

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Stqarrija Konġunta għall-Istampa 15.02.2025

Biża’ li jilħqu jkissru l-Forti Chambray waqt li għaddej l-appell kontra d-deċiżjonijiet tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar

Illum il-Koalizzjoni għal Għawdex, flimkien mal-Moviment Graffitti u Din l-Art Ħelwa, wettqu azzjoni diretta bil-għan li jixħtu dawl fuq it-theddida imminenti għall-Forti Chambray minħabba n-nuqqas ta’ riforma fil-liġi tal-appelli fl-ippjanar.

L-għaqdiet saħqu li, grazzi għall-kontribut finanzjarju tal-poplu, huma għadhom kif ippreżentaw żewġ appelli kontra l-permessi irregolari li ħarġet l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Huma għamlu wkoll talba għas-sospensjoni tax-xogħlijiet waqt li jkun għaddej l-appell. Iżda sforz il-liġi difettuża tal-appelli — li għadha ma ġietx riformata minkejja l-wegħdi tal-Prim Mnistru — it-Tribunal tal-Ippjanar (EPRT) jista’ jirrifjuta din it-talba. F’dan il-każ, il-konsegwenza se tkun li l-Barracks tal-Ingliżi jitkissru, u jibda l-iżvilupp fil-Forti Chambray sakemm ikun għaddej l-appell.

Din l-anomalija fil-liġi — li baqgħet ma tneħħietx minħabba li hemm interessi b’saħħithom li ma jridux ir-riforma — qed twassal għal inġustizzji kbar. Kien hemm bosta każijiet ta’ approvazzjoni mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar ta’ żviluppi sfaċċatament illegali, li iżda tħallew jinbnew waqt li kien qed jinstema’ appell, bil-konsegwenza li mbagħad l-istess permessi ġew imħassra mill-Qorti. Dan wassal għal proliferazzjoni ta’ żviluppi li jiġu ddikjarati illegali mill-Qorti iżda jkunu diġà laħqu nbnew.

L-azzjoni diretta tal-lum enfasizzat ir-riskju li din l-assurdità terġa’ tirrepeti ruħha fil-każ tal-Forti Chambray.

Waqt id-diskors tagħhom quddiem il-Barracks storiċi tal-Ingliżi, l-għaqdiet saħqu li ż-żewġ permessi maħruġa għall-iżvilupp tal-Forti Chambray huma kkaratterizzati minn diversi ksur ta’ politiki tal-ippjanar. Fosthom, hemm il-ksur tad-Development Brief u irregolaritajiet evidenti fil-proċess tal-ippjanar. Saħqu wkoll li huma għamlu diversi talbiet għall-iskedar tal-binja storika tal-barracks, iżda dawn dejjem ġew injorati. Riċentament, il-Koalizzjoni għal Għawdex ippreżentat Talba għal Ordni ta’ Konservazzjoni ta’ Emerġenza għall-Barracks tal-Ingliżi, li ġabret fuq 800 firma, fosthom l-appoġġ tal-Kunsill Lokali t’Għajnsielem, 25 NGO, u bosta akkademiċi u politiċi prominenti.

Dawn l-isforzi kollha biex jiġi salvat il-wirt storiku li jinsab fil-Forti Chambray, iżda, jafu kollha jisfgħu fix-xejn. Jekk it-Tribunal tal-Ippjanar mhux se jilqa’ t-talba għas-sospensjoni tax-xogħlijiet, illum jaf se tkun l-aħħar darba li naraw dan il-wirt storiku. Jekk ir-riforma fil-liġi tal-appelli se tibqa’ ma sseħħx, allura l-isforzi kollha mis-soċjetà ċivili kontra s-sistema inġusta tal-ippjanar se jibqgħu jiġu ridotti fix-xejn

Il-każ tal-Forti Chambray, saħqu l-għaqdiet, huwa eżempju ċar ta’ kif il-Gvern qed jibqa’ jagħti prijorità lil interessi b’saħħithom li jridu saħansitra jkissru l-wirt storiku tagħna biex jagħmlu profitti kbar. Il-Gvern qed jaqbel li jħallas l-ispejjeż għax-xogħlijiet ta’ konsolidazzjoni tal-art, għar-restawr u għall-manutenzjoni tas-swar biex igawdi minnhom il-privat — dan kollu mit-taxxi tal-poplu. Dan huwa proġett li ma jagħti xejn lura lill-poplu: l-aħħar kuntratt li għadda fil-Parlament f’Ġunju 2024 bl-ebda mod ma jassigura l-aċċess pubbliku, u kollox jindika li l-unika skop ta’ dan il-proġett huwa li jiġu mmassimizzati l-profitti privati permezz ta’ żvilupp ta’ kumpless massiċċ residenzjali u kummerċjali

L-għaqdiet tennew is-sejħa tagħhom għar-riforma immedjata fil-liġi tal-appelli sabiex id-dritt tal-poplu li jiġġieled kontra l-illegalitajiet jiġi tassew imħares u ma tibqax tiġi imminata s-saltna tad-dritt. Huma spiċċaw l-azzjoni diretta fil-Forti Chambray billi wissew li jekk it-talba għas-sospensjoni tax-xogħlijiet ma tiġix milqugħa, huma lesti li jieħdu azzjonijiet diretti sabiex iwaqqfu t-tkissir ta’ wirt il-poplu.