PA approves flats in Ggantija buffer zone despite backlaSH

The Planning Authority has granted final approval for a controversial 22-apartment block with 20 underlying garages within the buffer zone of the Ġgantija Temples in Xagħra, Gozo.

The decision, taken this morning, saw the Planning Board vote 10 to 1 in favour. The only dissenting vote came from NGO representative Romano Cassar.

The application (PA/00570/21) had already been approved in 2023 but was later revoked following an appeal, pending a heritage impact assessment (HIA) by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH). That assessment, concluded in February, led the SCH to maintain it had no objections to the project after revised plans were submitted.

A coalition of NGOs, however, strongly criticised the watchdog’s position, describing it as “deeply questionable” after reviewing the assessment.

The Planning Board had previously deferred its decision to allow objectors to present their concerns directly to the SCH. But with the superintendence standing by its conclusions, chairman Emanuel Camilleri closed the public discussion and moved to a vote.

Cassar argued that the impact assessment itself contained contradictions. He noted that while it justified the development by referring to similar heights already approved in the area, it also warned the project could set a precedent. He insisted the block is too close to the temple complex and would replace a traditional farmhouse with a modern structure.

In the run-up to the decision, a coalition made up of Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Għawdix and Wirt Għawdex raised concerns about the methodology of the assessment. They argued that key elements such as screening, scoping and stakeholder consultation—dismissed by the SCH as outside its remit—are in fact central to the UNESCO process.

“Remove them, and what remains is not a rigorous assessment but a partial one,” the NGOs said.

The coalition also accused the SCH of overstating the role of international bodies. It said the assessment “leaned heavily” on UNESCO and ICOMOS as if they had endorsed the project, when in reality such bodies only review and advise. “UNESCO does not approve projects. To present that as endorsement is, at best, imprecise. At worst, it is misleading,” they said, noting that no ICOMOS report was presented.

The NGOs also pointed to the heritage assessment's own findings, which acknowledge that the development would remain dominant in the streetscape, with a façade appearing as a single, homogeneous mass. “These are not minor observations. They are red flags,” the coalition said, questioning how such conclusions could still lead to a finding of “no significant impact”.

Despite these objections, the Planning Authority ultimately endorsed the project, clearing the way for development within one of Gozo’s most sensitive heritage zones.