Any hope that Gozo will one day be spared of the rampant over-development that has taken over Malta was put to bed last Thursday.

This was after a mega-development proposed within Fort Chambray in Gozo and the demolition of a British barracks building within the same complex - only the façade of which will be relocated and preserved - has been approved by the Planning Authority.

The development is for the construction of a 5-star aparthotel with 64 ensuite rooms, 50 serviced apartments and ancillary amenities; 105 "high quality Class 1 residential units with highly landscaped pedestrian environment and the creation of a new public piazza," as well as part demolition of the existing underground parking levels, including excavations to extend further the existing two parking levels to accommodate garages for private use and car parking spaces for public use."

The same application proposes the relocation and integration of the British Barracks' front masonry arcade, inner facade behind the arcade and flanks within the proposed hotel main building, among many other things.

The plans faced heavy opposition, particularly from those who volunteer within environmental activism sectors and Gozitans.  But their protests fell on deaf ears, as the country's planning regulator powered through, voting to approve a project that will forever change what is a Gozitan landmark - even if that means that a part of important heritage will be almost entirely condemned to being kept alive only in pictures and memory.

It is another, all too common, sacrifice at the altar of development.

It is also a sacrifice which came with the blessing of the political class. 

The PN-led Ghajnsielem Local Council started its intervention during the Board Meeting by saying that the council had been against the privatisation of Fort Chambray many years ago to begin with, and ended it by, inexplicably, voting in favour of the project.

As for both the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party's own central members - the silence was deafening.  It was these two parties who made this happen in the first place, when last July, their MPs voted in favour of the concessionaire at the time to be able to transfer the concession for the Fort over to someone else.

They had the option to end the concession, as the concessionaire at the time had failed to meet the obligations that were stipulated within - yet they chose not.  Once again, the country's political class has stood idly by and ignored the overwhelming views of its constituents in favour of a few developers who will be making millions off the back of public land.

Perhaps it's to keep the economic wheel turning.  Perhaps it's so the two parties can keep their own balance sheets turning and not alienate people who may be donors.  Transparency in political party financing would go a long way in negating that commonly held latter belief - or in confirming it, and therefore explaining the reticence of the political class to actually speak up against, or at the very least question, developments like this.

Until then though, the common man has to contend with waiting in fear for what the next sacrifice at the altar will be.