Lija council welcomes DCC decision

The Lija council has welcomed the refusal of an application to sanction the construction of a terraced house in Merino Street because it was not in line with the permit given.

The council said the permit for the construction of a number of terraced houses on a site designated as a protected open space enclave was issued in 2006, only a few weeks before the formal approval of the central Malta local plan.

The construction was not carried out in line with the permit and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority had issued three enforcement orders against which appeals were lodged with the Planning Appeals Board.

Four development permission applications for the sanctioning of the illegalities were submitted.

The council said it had argued against the granting of the permits and its position had now been vindicated. It said it expected the same outcome in an application for a development to replace a garden in one of the village's most beautiful streets. This garden, it said, was illegally destroyed and an enforcement order has also been issued.