An environmental NGO is calling on the authorities to intervene and stop a massive project from being developed on the site of the Boathouse restaurant in Xlendi.

Din l-Art Helwa Ghawdex has also called on the public to “protest the latest stroke of destruction in Xlendi.”

One of the applications is for the demolition of a two-storey building, which will be replaced by a six-storey building. The Planning Authority had granted permission for the development despite the case officer's initial recommendation to refuse the permit, and objections by other entities, including the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, which pointed out that the six-storey building was not in keeping with the area's character.

Workers started tearing down the popular restaurant on Tuesday afternoon.

“This, once picturesque, once incredibly beautiful Gozitan cove that attracts thousands of locals, residents and tourists to its magic is suffering the final, fatal twist of the knife. Beautiful no more, magical no more,” DLH Gozo said.

“One of the bays most loved by Gozitans and Maltese is suffering yet another soul-wrenching, guttwisting rape under our eyes and under the eyes of government. Heavy machinery is about to start ripping the guts out of the last boathouses on the remaining corner of Xlendi - the last vestiges of the old, quintessential seaside village that everybody loves. Instead we will soon see yet more soulless, characterless and ugly piles of concrete.”

The NGO said this is happening thanks to Malta’s ‘one size fits all’ planning guidelines, which are “riddled with loopholes that allow ruthless developers to devour anything in their path hiding behind the heinous Annex 2 policy.”

It said the development on Xlendi’s waterline should not happen for various reasons, including that, what appear as two separate developments, on two sites with two separate planning permits, are being built simultaneously as one development.

DLH Gozo said it is “inconceivable” that such a controversial planning application on such a very sensitive site frequented by thousands of people only attracted a single objection during the obligatory MEPA consultation period. Obligatory notices to neighbours of the sites do not appear to have been distributed as required by law, it said.

Din l-Art Helwa Ghawdex is demanding that the Planning Authority and the Government step in and stop the works with immediate effect to ascertain the facts about this development and protect Xlendi’s natural landscape against obliteration.

The NGO is also appealing to every Gozitan, Maltese and foreign resident who loves Xlendi to make their voices heard. “Stop this rape, stop this development, preserve this one corner of the old Xlendi. All of Gozo is under the knife.”

The NGO once again appealed to the Government to analyse and to act immediately on its three-point plan to stop the “rot and the destruction” of Gozo.

It is calling for a 12-month suspension of DC2015 Annex 2 regulations in Gozo; a 12-month moratorium on all ODZ developments in Gozo; and a 12-month extension of UCA boundaries by 250 metres in Gozo.

“These three actions are vital to protect what is left of Gozo before the golden goose is dead and buried and before the magic that is Gozo is gone for good.”