Bid to curb dumping in vacant plots

Local councils will soon start building eight-course walls around plots of land where rubbish is being tipped - and forward the bill plus a fine to the owners - unless the owners build the wall themselves .

This policy was announced yesterday by Malta Environment and Planning Authority chairman Andrew Calleja and has the approval of the Local Councils Association.

Residents can inform local councils about such sites and the councils will, in turn, inform Mepa.

Mepa will send inspectors round to establish whether the area is being used as a dump. If it is, the owners will be given three months to build a wall. If they fail to do so, the council will take on the job itself and charge the owners.

Mepa would recoup the cost, plus interest and a fine of Lm50 per metre up to a maximum of Lm1,000, when an application for the development of the site is eventually submitted. Environment Minister George Pullicino said Mepa received 200 complaints about such sites in two years and the policy was a timely initiative.

There were now ample facilities for the disposal of bulky refuse ranging from a free service offered by most local councils to civic amenity sites.

In addition to the amenity site at Maghtab, another will be opened at Mriehel soon, while others will be opened at Hal Far, Luqa and Gozo.

The minister said a deterrent was necessary: "We do not want to create a police state and would rather offer solutions.

"Since we opened the Maghtab civic amenity site, some 65 vehicles a day have been depositing material there, most of which is being recycled," Mr Pullicino said.

Mepa was also training around 20 former drydocks employees as inspectors who will be on the lookout for littering and dumping as well as monitor adherence to construction site management regulations that are to be published shortly following a consultation period.