Mepa starts clearing Wied Hazrun of illegal development

Illegal rooms at the ecologically sensitive Wied Hazrun in Dingli were demolished by Malta Environment and Planning Authority enforcement officers this morning.

This was the first part of enforcement action Mepa intends to carry out to clear the valley.

Enforcement director Alex Borg said that about a year ago Mepa studied the area known as ta' Baldu in Dingli, within which Wied Hazrun is located, and compared the buildings existing at the time to what featured in an aerial photo in 1967.

Officers then checked whether the post-1967 buildings  were covered by permits. As a result,  Mepa issued 35 enforcement notices.

During the process, 10 owners applied for and received sanctioning of illegal parts of their buildings and 16 have pending cases or appeals.

This morning Mepa started removing the rest. The action today was concentrated on what were originally two rooms and a reservoir but which were extended by another three rooms. Three garages used as stores were also built close by.

Mepa said that the owner would be paying for today's demolition.