Two Gozitan environmental NGOs, along with Din L-Art Ħelwa, have revealed their intention to challenge the recently granted permit for constructing an apartment block near Gozo’s Ġgantija Temples. The project, they cautioned on Tuesday, poses a severe threat to the integrity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and its designated buffer zone.
The Ġgantija Temples are a significant historical landmark in Malta, and the surrounding UNESCO-established buffer zone is crucial for preserving their cultural and environmental importance, as stated by Din L-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Għawdix, and Wirt Għawdex.
Asserting that sites of global importance are not for sale and should be protected for future generations, the NGOs criticized local developers, governmental authorities, and politicians, emphasizing the responsibility to shield such sites.
They declared their intention to file a permit revocation request based on flaws in the approval procedure and the presence of errors and incorrect information leading to the permit’s issuance.
Expressing satisfaction with recent strong statements from Heritage Malta and a ‘revised opinion’ from the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, the NGOs called on the government and the Planning Authority to fulfill their duty to the nation and the civilized world by halting the environmental damage being inflicted upon the country.
Times of Malta reported that the Superintendence plans to request the Planning Authority to freeze the contentious permit, and Heritage Malta announced its intention to strongly appeal the decision.
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