The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has voiced its concern over the proposed development in Triq Parsott Xaghra, within the Ggantija Area of Archaeological Importance and within 15m of the Ggantija Neolithic Temples World Heritage Site.

The Superintendence said that it is “concerned about the intensity of development being proposed in a semi-rural area and in the context of a World Heritage Site.”

In a Facebook post today, it said that “in this respect, the Superintendence has formally objected to the total demolition of the existing building and to the overall height as currently proposed.”

The Superintendence also reiterated that “views and vistas to and from Ggantija are to be preserved and enhanced and no rock cutting is acceptable.”

“This position is in line with commitments given to UNESCO in 2014 to limit the impact of development by avoiding irreversible changes to the landscape, within the buffer zones of the Megalithic Temples of Malta UNESCO World Heritage Sites,” it concluded.

The Xaghra Local Council said that it has also objected to the proposed development in front of Ggantija Temples.

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) has objected to the application and earlier this week appealed to the public to also object to what it describes as the latest “planning heresy” in Gozo – a 5-storey block of 31 apartments overlooking the Ggantija UNESCO World Heritage Site in Xaghra, Gozo.

FAA stressed that this proposed planning application not only destroys this traditional Gozitan house but also destroys the heritage value of this UCA streetscape and will have a great impact on the temple, the scheduled windmill, and on the village of Xaghra itself.

The application number is PA00570/21. The closing date for representations is today, Friday, the 5th of March.

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