Gozo News

Din l-Art Helwa Ghawdex, Ghawdix, Moviment Graffitti and Wirt Ghawdex, in a joint statement, called on the public to oppose the destruction of the British Barracks at the Married Quarters in Fort Chambray, one of the oldest barracks in Malta (built c. 1898) and the only British barracks in Gozo.

They said the proposal to remove the British barracks screen (or arcade) and demolish the rest was “deeply concerning and in breach of the existing building retention policy (points 9, 22, 36) of the outline development plan for Fort Chambre”.

“It is misleading to refer to the south-facing porch as a ‘screen’ and suggest that it should be relocated. The porch is an important architectural element, providing shade and ventilation. Describing the barracks as ‘abandoned’ ignores its potential for restoration,” the NGO said.

They stressed that “most British barracks in Malta, such as Imtafa, Pembroke and St George’s Barracks, are in a state of conservation. The British barracks at Fort Chambre is unique in Gozo and the only one built within a Chivalric period fortification, so the lack of conservation is unacceptable.”

In April 2024, Din l-Art Helwa Ghawdex, G?awdix and Wirt Ghawdex requested planning to build a British barracks in Chambre Fort from the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage and the Planning Authority.

The NGO said the processing of the development permission application (PA 03884/23) for the demolition of the British Army barracks and the third phase of development should be suspended until the scheduling application is resolved.

They insisted on an emergency protection order to protect the British barracks at Fort Chambray.

The description of TBA Periti Architects’ work, which reappeared in a PA application from eight years ago (PA/02454/16) and has reappeared now, states “Demolition of British Barracks as part of the third phase of the development of Fort Chambray (intended to incorporate the arcade into a future hotel building).”

The development permission description for the Fort Chambray Phase 3 development application (PA/03884/23) submitted by Studiourban Architects last year proposed “… demolition of the existing vacant British Army barracks…”

“Why the word ‘vacant’ was added is unclear. Does it mean that no one lives there and therefore it is safe to demolish? The barracks are still in a very salvageable state and should be preserved and restored. Clearly the intention is to demolish the buildings and retain and relocate the porticoes or ‘arcades’ mentioned in the 2016 proposal description,” the NGO said.

The NGOs also pointed out that there were no plans to build a tourist project on the site of the British barracks at Fort Chambre following its demolition. “Instead, the plan was to build as many duplexes as possible and sell them to the highest bidder, allowing the new developer who took over the third phase from the previous concessionaire, Dr Michael Caruana, to pocket millions of euros.”

They stressed that “this should never happen. Neither the government nor the developers have the right to destroy the history of Gozo and Malta that belongs to all of us and our children and grandchildren. The spacious rooms in the married quarters barracks should be repurposed to serve the community, not private interests.”

The NGO insists that “this could be a win-win situation: the history is restored, preserved and reused for sustainable tourism and cultural enrichment of Gozo, while the military barracks could be used alternately as a boutique hotel and/or a cultural centre, community centre, educational facility and art studio.”

The four NGOs are calling on the public to oppose the destruction of these British military camps in PA 02454/16 and complete their statements click here.

Ghawdix said it’s worth noting that the proxy expiration date is this Friday, July 26, at midnight.

Photo courtesy of Ghawdix – AdobeStock/Karina Movsesyan