Ħondoq: A 20-year fight comes to a head

The acquisition

Back in 1988, Gozo Prestige Hotels, which is owned by businessman Victor Bajada, acquired a stretch of land known as Ħondoq ir-Rummien from the Dominican Order for just €23,000 (Lm10,000).

The full sale price would rise to €1.5 million should the company be awarded a development permit for what it hoped would be a large yacht marina development. At the time, big business was eyeing stretches of Maltese coastline for developments such as the Portomaso marina, in St Julian’s.

The application

Nearly 15 years later, in July 2002, an application was filed to develop “a destination port” which was to include a hotel, yacht marina and a tourist village.

The entire project would eat up 103,000 square metres with a building footprint of more than 13,000 square metres.

The developers applied to build private roads, a marina promenade and a public wharf.

Some 15,000 square metres of agricultural land and another 23,000 square metres of protected garigue were to be dug up.

Paul Buttigieg, the mayor of Qala, has been campaigning against the development for two decades.

Qala says ‘no’

The proposed project outraged many Gozitans who complained to the government and their...