PN Adviser Joins ‘Scandalous’ Ġgantija Heights Project
PN Adviser’s U-Turn: From Critic to Player in Ġgantija Heights Project
Imagine standing at the foot of the Ġgantija Temples in Xagħra, the ancient megaliths towering above you. Now, picture a high-rise apartment block casting its shadow over these prehistoric giants. This is the scenario that once outraged the Nationalist Party (PN), but now finds one of their own, former MP and party adviser, Tonio Fenech, involved in the very project they deemed ‘scandalous’.
From Protests to Partnerships
In 2019, the PN was up in arms over the proposed Ġgantija Heights project. They held press conferences, staged protests, and even filed a court case against the Planning Authority’s decision to approve the high-rise development. The party’s then secretary general, Clyde Puli, didn’t mince his words, calling the project ‘an insult to our cultural heritage’.
Fast forward to 2023, and the tables have turned. Tonio Fenech, who served as an MP for the PN and was an adviser to the party’s leader until recently, has been named as a director of a company that is now part of the consortium behind the Ġgantija Heights project. The company, Xlendi Investments, was appointed as the project’s promoter earlier this year.
From Party Lines to Business Lines
Fenech’s involvement in the project has raised eyebrows, not least because of the PN’s previous stance. When asked about the irony of the situation, Fenech told Hot Malta, ‘Politics is about change, and business is about opportunity. Sometimes, these two worlds collide.’
Fenech’s appointment isn’t the only change in the project’s scene. The original promoter, Tumas Group, has stepped back, and the project’s scale has been reduced. The proposed number of apartments has been cut from 200 to 120, and the height of the buildings has been lowered. The new consortium, which includes Xlendi Investments, has promised a more sensitive approach to the project’s design and impact on the surrounding area.
However, not everyone is convinced. Environmental groups, such as Din l-Art Ħelwa, remain opposed to the project, arguing that it still poses a threat to the Ġgantija Temples and the surrounding countryside. They point out that the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is still pending, and they’re calling for a comprehensive review of the development’s impact on the area’s cultural heritage and ecosystem.
: A New Chapter for Ġgantija Heights?
The Ġgantija Heights project is far from over. The Planning Authority is expected to make a decision on the EIA in the coming months, and the project’s future hangs in the balance. Fenech, for his part, is optimistic. ‘We’re committed to finding a way forward that respects the Ġgantija Temples and the local community,’ he says.
But for many, the question remains: how did a project once deemed ‘scandalous’ by the PN become a business opportunity for one of their own? And what does this mean for the future of development in Malta’s cultural heartland?
