Injunction interrupts illegal rooms demolition

An attempt by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to demolish four illegal rooms in Wardija was halted half-way through the operation yesterday when the owners produced a temporary injunction issued by the court.

A Mepa spokesman said the owners were claiming to have filed an application to knock down the illegal rooms after having been issued with an enforcement notice and told they had until last Monday to demolish the structures.

According to Mepa, the owners had not carried out the demolition arguing they had not received a permit to do so. However, the spokesman said, the authority had not received any such application and none was needed to demolish the illegal property.

The four rooms, as well as boundary walls and gates, are situated on the slopes of the ecologically sensitive Wied Qannotta.

By the time the court injunction was produced, heavy machinery had already demolished two of the rooms.

The authority said this was the fourth case in under a month where its work had been temporarily impeded and that it remained committed “in its efforts to restrain illegal development”.

It referred to a similar case in Wied Betti, on the outskirts of Gudja and Luqa. It said the court had now decided in favour of its action to demolish a two-storey dwelling in shell form built outside the development zone. The owner was demolishing the building himself to save being billed by the authority.

“The authority will now eagerly await the court’s decision on this case at Wardija too.” The hearing is set for September 6.