The planning authority has asked the police to take action against the owner of an illegal sheep farm in Għarb.

The veterinary authorities have also been informed of claims that the buildings housing the livestock are not covered by a permit, according to the planning authority.

A month ago, a voluntary organisation – Ambjent Malti – protested against the development of the sheep farm near San Dmitri chapel. Since then, no action was taken.

The organisation says the farm hosted about 300 sheep and was built on a controversial site where the construction of a fireworks factory had been proposed.

The local council had opposed the application and held protests on site.

“This week, other sheep were seen being transported to the site to continue enlarging the sheep family in the illegal sheep farm,” the NGO said.

Ambjent Malti claims that the developer illegally built a structure despite an enforcement notice.

It says that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority was informed of the situation through an e-mail in the beginning of September.

The planning authority says the site, a disused quarry, was used as a sheep farm and was served with an enforcement notice. In mid-September, “the construction of a new wall was noted and the authority ordered the owner to stop all works and he complied,” it notes.

Since then, enforcement officers have been on site on “five separate occasions” following reports of ongoing works by Ambjent Malti but no new construction works were noted beyond that registered in mid-September.