Soul of Xagħra village now a safer place

I refer to the letter by Stephen Peters entitled Soul of Xagħra Village Ripped Apart (December 1). May I point out that the enforcement action in the square of Xagħra took place after a number of reports by residents about the unlawful placing of furniture beyond the delineated boundaries.

Readers should know that an elderly woman was run over by a car some days before the enforcement took place because she could not use the pavement due to the illegal obstructions on the pavement.

Encroachment permits which are issued by the Land Department in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority do not allow the owners of shops or restaurants to have any fixed structures. For this reason, this particular enforcement action was carried out in full coordination with the MTA and with the collaboration of Mepa officials, as these structures lacked a Mepa permit, as well as the permission from Land Department. The authorities are in duty bound to observe both the law and the encroachment permits just as the encroachees are in duty bound to observe these. It does not pay for the latter to take the law into their own hands, thereby abusing of public property and jeopardising life and limb.