Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1540950
GozoToday is a weekly newspaper focused primarily on Gozo. It hopes to serve as a source of information on business, culture, entertainment and of course current affairs. Gozo has a special charm about it but it is also a bustling Island with an identity of its own. GozoToday is published every Friday and is available to numerous outlets in Gozo and on the ferries that carry so many visitors to Gozo from Malta and beyond. GozoToday MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 9016 ASSISTANT EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt 3 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 31 OCTOBER 2025 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 During the meeting, a repre- sentative of the Coalition for Gozo urged the Planning Au- thority (PA) to halt all proceed- ings. Concerns were raised over the development's basement ga- rages, which would require sub- stantial rock excavation, and the planned demolition of a cluster of vernacular farmhouse rooms considered architecturally sig- nificant. Critics also highlighted that the rear elevation of the pro- posed buildings would negatively affect views for visitors approach- ing Xagħra from Xewkija. In its correspondence to the PA, the Superintendence of Cul- tural Heritage (SCH) described the proposal as "objectionable in principle" and recommend- ed that it be reassessed if the PA continued to consider the appli- cation. The SCH also noted that further studies, including a Her- itage Impact Assessment (HIA), may be required due to the site's location within the protected UNESCO buffer zone. Heritage advocates argue that an HIA should have been requested im- mediately to assess the impact on this sensitive archaeological area. The project has been criticised for ignoring the Kamra tal-Periti Directive 01/23, which requires an archaeological impact assess- ment before submitting planning applications within UNESCO buffer zones. No such assessment was included in the current ap- plication. Heritage NGOs includ- ing Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Għawdix, and Wirt Għawdex have voiced strong opposition, citing the potential loss of his- torically valuable Gozitan farm- house structures and the lack of a photographic survey of their interiors. The Coalition for Gozo has previously intervened to halt a large-scale project, Gigantija Heights, in 2023 using Article 80 of the Development Planning Act, which allows the PA Board to revoke or amend permits in cases of misrepresentation or public safety concerns. The Co- alition warns that if the current application proceeds, it may be forced to report the development to UNESCO, risking internation- al criticism for Malta. The Coalition is calling on the PA to suspend the project, com- mission a full Heritage Impact Assessment, and properly evalu- ate the vernacular buildings pro- posed for demolition before any further decisions are made. Planning Board defers decision on controversial Xaghra development near Ggantija Temples The area emarked for development near Ggantija Temples 247,355 tourists visited Gozo during September, including both same-day (233,815) and overnight (23,540) visitors, or 62.8% of total tourists for the Maltese Islands (393,848). The figure represented an in- crease of 10.6% over the same period last year, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said. The number of tourists visit- ing Gozo from January to Sep- tember, including both same- day and overnight visitors, totalled 1,824,566, or 59.3% of total tourists (3,075,483), marking a 12.1% rise compared with last year, the NSO said. On a national basis, total in- bound tourists for September were estimated at 393,848, an increase of 10.0% compared with the same month in 2024. Total nights spent amounted to 2,688,678, while total ex- penditure reached €465.9 mil- lion. The largest share of guest nights (87.1%) was recorded in rented accommodation estab- lishments. Inbound tourists in the first nine months of 2025 totalled 3,075,483, with total nights reaching 19.6 million. The NSO noted that total tourist expenditure for the pe- riod January-September 2025 was estimated at €3,029.9 mil- lion, while expenditure per capita stood at €985. 247,355 tourists visit Gozo during September The number of tourists visiting Gozo from January to September, including both same-day and overnight visitors, totalled 1,824,566, or 59.3% of total tourists (3,075,483), marking a 12.1% rise compared with last year