Mepa continues to clamp down on illegal development

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has continued with its drive to clamp down on illegal development, with eight new cases of direct action being taken in the last few weeks in a number of localities.

Last week, it removed a large canopy structure which was illegally assembled in October on one of the seafront terraces at Villa Cassar Torreggiani in St Julian’s.

The authority had been impeded from carrying out its direct action operation after the site owner’s lawyer presented a prohibitory injunction to the courts. Last week the courts decided in Mepa’s favour and gave the green light for the direct action to be carried out.

Over the past weeks Mepa also intervened at a site in an area known as Il-Mizieb, in the limits of Zurrieq, where large quantities of inert materials were illegally dumped while also sealed off a garage in Marsaxlokk, which had been illegally converted into a carpentry shop to the detriment and inconvenience of neighbours.

The authority also carried out a direct action operation at a site, limits of Zurrieq, following a report it received from the council, where a number of large items had been dumped. On the same day, the authority also demolished and removed an illegally built room and other structures at a site known as Tal-Baqqari also in Zurrieq .

In Marsascala, in an area known as Dawret il-Kunsill ta' l-Ewropa, the Authority removed an number of illegally dumped items, which included a derelict yacht and a number of boat trailers. At another site in the same locality, Mepa’s enforcement officers demolished an illegal room and removed wire fencing and oil drums. The site was restored to its original agricultural state.

At undeveloped area in Mosta at Triq il-Ballata, which looks towards a residential area, the Authority removed large quantities of material after the contravener rapidly removed a number of vehicles that were illegally being kept at the site. Additionally, MEPA also removed a number of illegal rooms in Mellieha, Bahrija, and Gudja, a boundary wall along the road from Rabat to Siggiewi and other illegal structures from Dahlet Qorrot Bay in Gozo.

In October, the authority witnessed over 30 illegal development cases were the contraveners co-operated with the enforcement unit of Mepa and within an agreed timeframe removed the illegality themselves, with the premise that they are saving having to foot the bill of the direct action operation.