Din l-Art Helwa and the Coalition for Gozo said that it ”warmly welcomes” the news from the Government on Monday, that the historic British-period barracks will be included in the Fort Chambray Master Plan.

In a joint statement, they pointed out that, ”one crucial matter was absent from the announcement: the need to grant the British Barracks the highest level of statutory protection through Grade 1 scheduling.”

The Ministry for the Arts, Culture and National Heritage announced that, following discussions between the Government and developers, the Fort Chambray Master Plan has been revised to incorporate the historic British-period barracks.

The organisations noted that the Ministry stated that the revision ”recognises the barracks’ historical and architectural significance and would ensure that their heritage value informs the site’s future development.” It also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ”working with the private sector to ensure that development plans respect Malta’s cultural heritage.”

”Retaining these historic structures within the master plan and acknowledging their importance to the future of Fort Chambray are essential steps,” the organisations said. ”Without Grade 1 protection, however, we risk seeing the barracks suffer a fate similar to that of the Grade 2 scheduled St George’s Barracks, incorporated into the Hard Rock Hotel development, or Cambridge Barracks, whose Grade 2 scheduling did not prevent approval being granted for a 31-storey hotel within the barracks’ footprint.”

The controversial demolition of the British Barracks at Fort Chambray was approved by the Planning Authority in December 2024, with the endorsement of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. The following month, in January 2025, Din l-Art Helwa and the Coalition for Gozo formally requested an Emergency Conservation Order for the barracks and open the way for Scheduling the British Barracks at the highest protection grading for a building.

The organisation stated that ”this request received widespread support from numerous NGOs, academics, the Ghajnsielem and Kercem Local Councils, two former prime ministers (Dr Alfred Sant and Dr Lawrence Gonzi), Members of Parliament, other political figures and hundreds of Maltese citizens. Our appeal went unheeded.”

This year, Europa Nostra included the British Barracks among Europe’s seven most endangered heritage sites. Its report recommended both Grade 1 scheduling and recognition through the prestigious European Heritage Label.

The organisations argued that ”preserving the exterior alone would be wholly inadequate if the original rooms, built by master mason Vitor Vella more than 120 years ago, were gutted to make way for hotel accommodation. The barracks’ historic setting must also remain intact. Attaching a modern building to the barracks, or surrounding them with new blocks, would compromise their character and strip them of the very qualities that make them worthy of preservation.”

Din l-Art Helwa and the Coalition for Gozo concluded by saying, ”we look forward to the Gozitan British Barracks being finally scheduled with Grade 1 protection. Nothing else will do!”

The Coalition for Gozo consists of Din l-Art Helwa, Ghawdix and Wirt Ghawdex.

Photo: Coalition for Gozo

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