Fort Chambray barracks listed among Europe’s most endangered heritage sites

Fort Chambray’s British Barracks in Gozo have been officially listed among Europe’s seven most endangered heritage sites for 2026 by Europa Nostra, renewing public outrage about the privatisation of Malta’s history.

The decision follows a nomination by Din l-Art Ħelwa, which has spent years challenging the planned partial demolition of the 19th century barracks embedded within the Knights-era fortress. The listing signals that Fort Chambray is no longer a local planning dispute, but a matter of European heritage concern.

According to Din l-Art Ħelwa, the barracks face “imminent and irreversible damage” as a result of a large-scale residential development approved by the Planning Authority in December 2024.

The permit allows for most of the structure to be demolished, with the building’s facade to be dismantled and relocated to make way for a luxury residential complex. The NGO’s appeal remains pending before the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal.

The British Barracks form part of the wider Fort Chambray, a Grade 1 scheduled monument originally constructed by the Knights of St John in the early 18th century to defend Gozo.

While the fort itself enjoys the highest level of protection, the later British-era barracks were never formally scheduled. This regulatory gap has enabled their proposed dismantling.

Historically, the building was the first overseas married quarters built by the British Empire and later served as a hospital during World War I. Its elevated position overlooking the Gozo-Malta channel makes it one of the most prominent architectural elements within the fortified complex.

Din l-Art Ħelwa executive president Patrick Calleja said Europa Nostra’s decision “amplifies the voice of civil society” and strengthens calls for the revocation of development permits that prioritise commercial gain over heritage conservation. The nomination was supported by Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex and endorsed by Wirt Għawdex and Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar.

The announcement was also welcomed by Moviment Graffitti, which described the listing as a clear signal that the Maltese government must now “take full responsibility” for safeguarding the site.

The group reiterated its demand for the revocation of irregular planning permits and for the barracks to be formally scheduled, a step it argues should have been taken years ago.

Europa Nostra’s “7 Most Endangered” programme, launched in 2013, mobilises technical expertise, political pressure and funding pathways for threatened sites across the globe.

For Fort Chambray, the message is clear: dismantling historic fabric to accommodate speculative residential development is incompatible with responsible heritage stewardship.

With such a significant international spotlight focused on Fort Chambray, Malta’s authorities face a narrowing window to address heritage concerns before the site is irreversibly degraded by development.

Fort Chambray has been subject to a contentious public-private partnership agreement that was signed in the nineties. While the developers who signed the concession at the time were supposed to invest millions in the site’s restoration and conversion into a touristic hub, no such restoration works ever materialised.

After years of neglect, with only part of the site being developed into residential units, Gozitan developer Michael Caruana confirmed that he was in talks to hand over the concession to a group of mega-developers. Caruana also owns the Calypso Hotel in Marsalforn.

Public outrage about the concession spiked when, in June 2024, both major parties unanimously agreed that Caruana would be allowed to make millions from the concession by selling vast tracts of land from the heritage site to major contractors.

By the end of that same year, Fort Chambray’s new owners were already pushing plans to build 105 new apartments and increased the built up footprint on the site by a further 3,500 sqm.

The consortium behind this venture, represented by a company named BBT Gozo Fort Ltd, are Francesco Grima, known as il-Gigu, and a close friend of Planning Authority and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, Vince Borg of road contractors V&C, better known as Ċensu in-Nizz, Ninu Fenech and his sons from TUM Invest, Oliver Brownrigg of the BT Group, and Mario Gauci of Burmarrad Commercials.