Din l-Art Ħelwa expressed its profound disappointment and concern at the destruction of a beautiful vernacular farmhouse in Gozo, a building that formed part of the island's architectural and cultural heritage and which deserved preservation in its own right.

Din l-Art Ħelwa also acknowledged, with regret, that this development was not appealed. While the decision to approve the project was fundamentally flawed, neither Din l-Art Ħelwa nor any other party filed an appeal against the Planning Authority's permit.

It is possible that, had an appeal been lodged, the farmhouse might have been saved, or at least a fuller examination of its value within the buffer zone would have been conducted.

This failure serves as a sobering lesson: guardianship of heritage requires not only statements of principle but also timely legal action. This loss is also particularly regrettable not only because of the farmhouse's age, character and architectural significance, but also because of its location within the, supposedly, protected UNESCO buffer zone of Ggantija Temples.

This traditional rural farmhouse was a significant element of the setting and surroundings of the temples. Din l-Art Ħelwa noted with concern that despite repeated public declarations and Visions for the future regarding the importance of safeguarding Malta and Gozo's built heritage, historic rural structures continue to be eradicated with impunity.

Each demolition represents a permanent loss to the nation's cultural patrimony and further erodes the distinctive character that makes our islands unique. Cheap-looking, soulless imitations and reconstructions are no substitute for authentic historic fabric, the NGO said.

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In a separate statement, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar also expressed its deep disgust at the destruction of a fine heritage building to be replaced by a large block of apartments within the Ġgantija buffer zone. This planning application was hotly contested by Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar and other NGOs in 2022-23, also due to the potential destruction of archaeological remains.  When UNESCO had finally weighed in, calling for a Heritage Impact Assessment to be carried out to settle the matter.

This study found that Ġgantija has an advantage over other Maltese temple sites as it is "experienced within one of the most open immediate settings, and gains value from the relative tranquillity of its setting, which ... remained relatively unchanged since prehistoric times."

The Heritage Impact Assessment, according to FAA, noted several Moderate Negative Impacts due to "The dominance of the proposal and incongruity of its height in relation to the surrounding street scene in views from within the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site, generates a detraction from their appreciation. The proposals have the potential to unacceptably intensify the urban context in their scale and massing and parking needs will result in an increase in traffic volume and on-street parking requirements."

The HIA made no mention of the potential destruction of archaeological remains, a high risk given that the site is just 9m from the last remains excavated at Ġgantija. Still, the Heritage Assessor warned of the risk of precedent: "cumulative impact resulting from the environmental impacts of a project combining with the same impacts of other past, existing or reasonably foreseeable future projects, including those that may be enabled by the project."

This is exactly what FAA flags up, not just regarding other developments combining to ruin the setting of Ġgantija Temples, but all over Malta, the NGO said.

Yet in spite of insisting "Our ability to experience the Outstanding Universal Value of a UNESCO site requires consideration of the sites within their wider context which contributes significantly to the authenticity of the World Heritage Site", the Heritage Impact Assessor approved the demolition of this fine old farmhouse which added traditional character to the Buffer Zone.

Shockingly, in spite of over 1,800 objectors and many NGOs seeking to protect the Ġgantija Buffer Zone, save potential archaeological remains and save this built heritage, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, approved this development - when it is known to block small projects for minor shortcomings. For some reason, the condition "provided no rock excavation is carried out and that works are monitored by an archaeologist" is not recorded the in the permit so even that provision is in question.

The CBA Heritage Assessment made it clear that its remit was the impact on Ġgantija Temples. However, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, in charge of the protection of all Maltese cultural heritage, has proved itself increasingly responsible for the destruction of our identity - one building at a time, the NGO said.