This morning, President George Vella met with the President of the Gozo Regional Council Dr Samuel Azzopardi at San Anton Palace.

President Vella said that Dr Azzopardi, on behalf of the Gozitan local councils, expressed concern about the “excessive development taking place in Gozo,” which according to them, could “ruin the natural beauty characterising the Island of Gozo.”

The President of the Gozo Region also explained the reasons leading the Local Councils of Gozo within the Gozo Region to “unanimously demand for an effective call to action.”

President Dr George Vella, had already expressed his concern during the last occasion of the Gozo Day held on the 28th of October, 2020, regarding the loss for ever of the natural beauty of Gozo because of excessive development.

In comformity and observance of the strict measures as stipulated by the Public Health Authorities against the spreading of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Representation of the Gozo Regional Council – Regjun Ghawdex, consisted of the President of the Gozo Region, Dr Samuel Azzopardi and the Mayor Mr Paul Buttigieg on behalf of the Gozo Region and the Local Councils of Gozo.

Last month Gozo mayors were “left fuming” when their proposed meeting regarding the “ongoing struggle of overdevelopment in Gozo” with Planning Authority members was ignored.

However, since then meetings have been arranged with Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia and representatives of the Planning Authority.

The mayors had received the backing of the Gozo Tourism Association on the “amount of overdevlopment happening in Gozo.” Calling on the Authority to follow its “sublime aims as set in its own vision and mission statements.”

The Gozo Business Chamber, gave it support to Gozitan mayors and the Gozo Regional Council in voicing concerns on the “unsustainable development currently happening in Gozo.”

In a statement, the Chamber also said that it supports their request for the Planning Authority to take “effective action.”

The Chamber argued that “the present rate of development is ruining the village cores of the island of Gozo and the urban fabric, which development does not take into consideration the needs and concerns of our local communities.”

The Gozo University Group also added their voice. GUG stated that as an organisation that represents Gozitans, it felt the “urge to exert pressure on the relevant authorities by showing its disapproval towards this type of unacceptable behaviour as shown by the Planning Authority.”

“As part of the future generation, we certainly do not wish that our beautiful island is deprived from its natural beauty by the excessive greed of a handful of powerful people,” it said.

According to the GUG, “latest records show that, very rarely does the Planning Authority refuse to grant building permits, all in all showing that it is not fulfilling its potential to reduce the effects of overdevelopment.”

Photo by Matthew Cutajar

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