Members of Alternattiva Demokratika, the Green Party’s Gozo Regional Committee have received a number of complaints from Gozitan residents, especially those living in Victoria, about the demolition site of the Duke of Edinburgh hotel.

AD Gozo asks how MEPA can allow the awful mess being made at the building site to continue . The old Duke of Edinburgh Hotel in Victoria was demolished to make way for an apartment block last July during the peak season, much to the horror of visitors,.

AD’s chairperson Dr Harry Vassallo said, “When the hotel was being pulled down, the clouds of dust and debris in Republic Street gave a clear message to visitors. This message is still being given every day – Gozo does not care about its tourists. Is it any wonder that many tourists will never return to Gozo, which is starting to resemble a building site?”

Dr Vassallo added, “The car park and roads leading from the area are now awash with mud, dust and rubble. All lorries should be well covered before they leave the site. Did MEPA consider that this was a significant development in the main street of a capital city and did it establish any procedures to minimise inconvenience considering the importance of the location? If that has been the case, then are MEPA’s staff in Gozo aware that their duties do not end once a permit is granted and that they should continue to monitor development as it proceeds?”

Victor Galea, AD Gozo Regional Committee concluded, “If MEPA allows such a shambles in anything to do with ‘construction’ attached to it, how can the planning authority even consider mega-projects such as the Qala marina or the Ta’ Cenc development? If MEPA is not in a position to control construction in the main street of Gozo’s capital, what hope do individual citizens have of defending their rights in other more secluded developments?”