The iconic Boathouse restaurant in Xlendi is now completely gone, with nothing left of the seaside corner building.

The building will now be replaced by a six-storey block which will house the same restaurant and bar, but also a host of apartments.

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.

Protests from residents and the NGO Din L-Art Helwa Gozo came too late to stop the proposal, and the new building is set to throw even more of a shadow over a Xlendi Bay which has already become synonymous with the over-development that is starting to ravage Gozo.

DLH Gozo has 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.

Photo & Video: Sabrina Zammit