Tourists warned after taking pictures of illegal Victoria Lines terrace
Tourists at the Victoria Lines had an ugly experience recently when they were threatened for taking photos of an illegal terrace that remains in place despite two enforcement notices.
The group came across the building while walking in the countryside near Rabat. The man who was leading the group said they were warned by a person at the building to stop taking photos and not to get too close.
Built by the British in the late 19th century, the Victoria Lines are defensive fortifications dividing the north of Malta from the south.
Two enforcement notices were issued, in March 1996 over the terrace, and in August 2011 for the fixing of a steel gate and the construction of a low limestone wall without planning permission.
Full story in The Times.
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Alex Buds
Feb 18th, 19:15
So the government has been aware of this monstrosity defacing our natural heritage (and over which tourists are being harassed... ukoll) for 17 years, and has not done anything about it in that time, except issue a couple of ineffective notices.
The bulldozers should have moved in 1 month after the first notice was issued, and the builder of this thing billed all costs.
Deo Catania
Feb 18th, 19:13
Can minister Jason Azzopradi explain why he didn't make a whole show-off with bulldozers and police in this case?
Pippo de Marco
Feb 18th, 17:05
Futur Fis-Sod.
We trusted you - You broke your words, and now we will have the final words...
Gonzi going, Gonzi gone, Gonzi discover your OWN future.
Mario Tabone
Feb 18th, 16:38
Get the bulldozers in....end of story !!!
Malcolm Seychell
Feb 18th, 16:27
Mepa another total failure of Gonzi...
Charles P Cilia
Feb 18th, 15:41
We have had weeks and more to come of vote catching promises by the political parties which are becoming hilarious to say the least. Would'nt it be interesting if any of them promise to remove these terraces the first week they are elected. And I mean a solemn promise with no strings attached. Come on go for it and be credible for a change. I'll vote for the party that does instead of tal Ajkla
GL Calleja
Feb 18th, 16:27
It seems like credibility does not get you many votes in this day and age. Empty promises and pointing fingers at one another seem to do the job. On the other hand MEPA is manipulated by the government and they only time they show up with their heavy equipment and a photographer of course, is when there is a hut or a girna in the middle of nowhere to be demolished.
anthony sultana
Feb 18th, 15:21
If in our tiny islands we want to get some attention from both parties,there is one answer,vote the AD party there is no other way.We can make this islands on the top of the list of the most beautiful islands of the world,but you have to keep reminding the other parties about votes going to the green party,if you don't fix all the problems in Malta &Gozo.PN PL are the same. AD is for change.
Mr Anthony Formosa
Feb 18th, 16:11
OK Mr Sultana, your green party will bring your green green grass.
GL Calleja
Feb 18th, 16:30
Mr Sultana that would be the right thing to do but that would be too good to be true. AD is also my choice and the right choice..
A. Sultana
Feb 18th, 14:54
I'm hoping that now that this is exposed to everyone, MEPA will take the necessary measures.
GL Calleja
Feb 18th, 16:22
Hoss fl-ilma.
Joe Scerri
Feb 18th, 14:36
MEPA, joke of the year
Mr Edwin Vella
Feb 18th, 14:30
B'din qed tiskantaw? Ftit ilu mort inzur kappella gewwa Targa Gap il-Mosta ta' Santa Andrija fejn qattajt tfuliti u nsib li z-zuntier ta'din il-kappella ma ghadux jezisti u sar parti min parapett ta' villa. Din Kappela antika u li suppost skjedata ta'. Niftakar nizirghu is-sardinell fiz-zuntier taghha ma Monsinjur Buhagiar fis-snin sittin u sebghin. lanqas biss ghadu jezisti iz-zuntier.
GL Calleja
Feb 18th, 14:22
So two enforcement notices were issued, in March 1996 over the terrace and yet nothing was done by Mepa to enforce those notices? Those notices were issued 16 years ago. What is Mepa waiting for to enforce the law? Why bother issuing notices if everything continues business as usual and Mepa looks the other way? "We are Maltese and we do as we please".
mario genovese
Feb 18th, 13:51
And that is how we treat tourists, the back-bone of our economy.
Asta Peterson
Feb 18th, 13:41
What an idiot this man must be to threaten visitors to Malta he is a traitor to his own fellow Maltese. I think your government should get a grip on this sort of unsocial behaviour from uneducated morons to call a spade a spade but there is not other way to describe my friend's feelings towards a beautiful island ruined his hol;idays by some nasty peasant.
Juan Dingli
Feb 18th, 13:15
If I can recall correctly, there is not just one of these illegal terraces but even more further along the Victoria Lines.
Mr Roderick Cutajar
Feb 18th, 12:58
Il kampanja hawn Malta qeda fi stat disastruz. Hijja haga stramba li fpajjiz tant zghir u bi ftit kampanja jithallew isiru dal hnizrijiet kollha. Il bierah kont San Martin area u filli miexi fil ftuh u fdaqqa wahda issib scrap yard miftuha fnofs lghelieqi kif ukoll hafna radam ta gebel tal kostruzjoni. Tal-misthijja
M Fava
Feb 18th, 12:56
Anke' lit-turisti qiegħdin nikkonfermawlhom kemm niġu naqgħu u nqumu mil-Liġi.
Michael Channon
Feb 18th, 12:49
What with this, the hunters and overdevelopment, It would seem that the tourist is just not wanted in Malta anymore. His money is, of course, so he is notionally tolerated?
Michael Channon
Feb 18th, 12:25
Just where are tourists to go? Paceville only? The hunters want rid of tourists. developers etc want tourists kept away from illegal goings on, and over-development of the shore-line leaves little of interest.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 18th, 12:12
Is this one of the illegalities that Gonzi is proposing MEPA will sanction?
Raymond Sammut
Feb 18th, 12:07
It's impossible to think of Malta as part of the European community of civilised nations --where the law is either respected or enforced.
Brussels should (1) either send its own law enforcement police to Malta, or (2) Malta should be expelled from the EU for failing to be a civilised nation.
Stuart McNeil
Feb 18th, 15:36
Excellent comment and totally agree sir.
Gillian Snook
Feb 18th, 12:01
Note to person "owning" terrace. If you don't want to be photographed, suggest you go somewhere where it isn't a TOURIST Attraction.
Note to MEPA. Suggest you encourage regular large groups of people to visit this site and take photos, He may get the message.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 18th, 11:55
Our historical heritage is treated like a cinderalla by MEPA. All they care about is issuing permits to the contractors. Once the environment is hived off from MEPA, there will be better enforcement in relation to our natural and historical environment.
vincent Lia
Feb 18th, 13:01
Any illegal building should be reported first to the police, but what is labour telling us, if it can get you slightly involved do not do it. PL preaches transparency jet is opaque as tarmac.
Dora Smith
Feb 18th, 15:47
Mr Lia, any illegal building should be reported to MEPA stop being ridiculous and trying to tarnish PL in your every comments. You sound pathetic. Its better if you asked pn why these illegalities have not been removed for the past 16yrs. Unbelievable to what extent partisan politics can get you!
Alan Dunn
Feb 18th, 11:42
public servants are letting down the residents of Malta by not enforcing
orders, remembering that it is the residents who pay taxes for these services to be operated.
M Vella
Feb 18th, 13:33
Its the minister who is responsible Alan,for if a public servant is not doing his job properly the minister should terminate their employment .
Joseph N. Attard
Feb 18th, 11:30
MEPA of course continues to make a fool of itself. Ultimately, the government is responsible. Enforcement notices in 1996 and 2011? What enforcement? People are fed up with being taken for a ride. The present government should beat its collective chest and chant mea culpa, mea maxima culps. It has ignored people's pleas for far too long.
Paul Hawker
Feb 18th, 11:12
Who is this shall we say NIKAMPOOP?are the Hanging laws in Malta sitll inplace,cause if they are this geezer is not making it easy for you Labour or you Nationalist party to improve your economy, remember folks tourists pay & spend alot of money in your country, and this time of the year News Travel Fast, in particular our travel agency that organizes these trips to the islands. Not Amused. find'm
martin chetcuti
Feb 18th, 11:09
Mepa Enforcement department has no teeth. Issuing enforcement notices but not making the owner to repristinate the area is a common practice with this department...
Ruth Muscat
Feb 18th, 11:00
and what is going to be done about it ??
I Bugeja
Feb 18th, 10:59
What a shame of you guys all complaining about a few bricks on top of each other. MEPA should cordially issue a permit for this and obviously apologise for the enforcement notices it had sent in the past.
Tony Marsh
Feb 18th, 13:47
So that way anybody and everybody can go and build lodgings anywhere they like in the countryside and put up "tidholx privat" signs and in less than a year you can't go anywhere in the countryside because there's no countryside left to go to. Do you have any more bright ideas Mr Bugeja ??!!
John Mizzi
Feb 18th, 10:54
There's no need to report illegal extensions etc as photos from the air can be taken and handed over to local authorities.
S Farrugia
Feb 18th, 10:39
Hush, it's election time. MEPA is fast asleep!
Christian Borg
Feb 18th, 10:27
The owner should be prosecuted for making a fool of the maltese law!
Charles P Cilia
Feb 18th, 15:23
No my friend.
The Maltese Law should be changed not to let the owner make a fool of it.
anthony sultana
Feb 18th, 10:18
That;s the reason I am supporting the AD green party,where ever there is illegalities and eyesores caused by law breakers,nobody can go close to them because the perpetrater dose not want you to know about his mess he is causing to all of us .Send a massage to the government that this kind of behavior must STOP.The countryside is for all of us to enjoy.
K. Vella
Feb 18th, 12:12
Anthony partially I agree with you..however you are risking that Labour will be elected and you know what is Labour plan? To remove the MEPA board and abolish the enviorement authority as well so we will be back to the glorious Labour past.
Be careful we will risk our future, VOTE PN as a first choice and maybe consider AD for the second vote.
Emanuel Curmi
Feb 18th, 14:16
Dear Mr. Vella. The question is, which party can you trust with the conservation of our environment. Somehow I seriously doubt that the PL, once in power, will not be any different than the present administration. A coalition, on the other hand, will force the party in power to resort to politics of persuasion rather than just dictating policies backed by an own absolute majority in parliament.
Dora Smith
Feb 18th, 15:57
@K Vella ... you just made me laugh ..... 16 yrs for an enforcement notice to be enforced and you say that Labour is a risk. Get your facts right ... Labour CANNOT abolish the enviroment authority - IT DOES NOT EVEN EXIST. Mepa board will NEITHER be removed get your facts rights before splashing cucati !
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 18th, 18:12
Vella, some use has it been to have the environment buried inside MEPA. What has it done to save the environment? It just recommends and these are systemetically ignored. Otherwise, why would we have such a disaster in our countryside?
James Dewar
Feb 18th, 10:00
Shades of North Korea!
Peter Murray
Feb 18th, 09:55
Enforcement notices issued in 2011 and unbeliveably in March 1996 (17 years ago)and... ENFORCEMENT action taken when?Do our authorities understand the meaning of -
1.NON-COMPLIANCE
2.ENFORCEMENT ACTION?
Joseph Barbara
Feb 18th, 11:48
I have said this several times and I say it again. We pay for all kinds of law enforcement agencies through taxes but do we get anything in return? Law enforcement in Malta means a parking fine at best....the rest is non existent.
C Muscat
Feb 18th, 09:50
Imnalla ftit twila il-kampanja ghax forsi naraw the tip of the iceberg.
Down with Gonzi foir the benefit of PN and Malta.
Stevo C
Feb 18th, 11:15
or you mean for the benefit of PL?
Mark Mangion
Feb 18th, 09:41
What are Mepa waiting for to send over a demolition squad and some policemen? Or does this person benefit from the protection of someone im power???Mepa please note - Victoria Lines are part of our heritage and its up to you to protect them not just with paper but with actions.
S Deguara
Feb 18th, 09:20
I phoned mepa to report an illegal extension to an illegal summer house in armier.. The person on the phone asked me to get them a siteplan of the place before she could take my report seriously.. I put the phone down very angry and dissappointed.. Obviously nothing was ever done about it.. Thats malta afor you..
S Muscat
Feb 18th, 11:11
I faced exactly the same problem.
Victor Borg
Feb 18th, 13:05
Typical of workers who are not accountable and face no consequence for dereliction of duty. For as long as government employers are not dismissed for blunders/negligence/dereliction of duty, then nothing will change. The workers simply don't care: why should they care when they receive a paycheque at the end of month irrespective of whether they do their job or not? Most don't do their job.
Gustav Svensson
Feb 18th, 09:16
Only in Malta...and like it always is in Malta. No inforcement.. what a little bana (pastizzi) republic this is..Well I will bring some friends to take photos:).
Law Agius
Feb 18th, 10:08
Mr Svensson, First of all you need to practice how to use spell check on your pc before writing in a pastizzi republic newspaper. Secondly according to your surname, you seem from far away. Why can you be so cordial to us and tell us from which country you originate so it will not be Only in Malta
Peter Murray
Feb 18th, 10:57
Law Agius-Why make assumptions based on a surname and what relevance does this have to the subject matter?Furthermore ,what poosible relevance does it have to the topic and his comments to enquire as to what country this gentleman may, or may not originate, from -as he is living here ?You need to practice on your manners and courtesy etiquette when commenting in a newspaper,I would suggest.
Paul Hawker
Feb 18th, 11:25
Not Siree- not only in Malta but also on Gozo, only recently we visited the little rock and there again we came across signs telling us its private no entry sometimes misspelled , there was one with a skull&Bones now whats that in God's name, could it be BlackBeard's residency after all its an island, where time stood still so we read in our holiday brochures.
Victor Laiviera
Feb 18th, 11:37
Mr Agius, the only thing that matters is whether what is said is true or not - not the nationality of the person that says it.
Wilfred Camilleri
Feb 18th, 12:36
@Agius What does his nationality have to do with anything? And why do you assume that because his last name is not Zammit, Fenech, Camilleri, Agius or any other common Maltese last name, he is not in fact Maltese? There are quite a few Maltese people with foreign last names who are actually Maltese.
Pule' Carmel
Feb 18th, 12:45
Mr Agius, you should have judged Mr Svenson on the value of his truth. I am writing this to redirect Alexandra MalliaBorg 's comment for I do not think Gustav deserved your comment but you deserve what Alexandra MalliaBorg said. It is like taking someone to court on one case and judging him if he wore a tie in the magistrates's hall!!!
Paul Caruana
Feb 18th, 09:06
In effect, this incident highlights a problem. MEPA has issued a number of enforcement notices, most of which go back several years (as in this case), in which it has been effectively unable to proceed any further!
What to do in these cases? The impression one gets is that, as used to happen in the pre-MEPA era, such illegal buildings are here to stay!
Alexandra MalliaBorg
Feb 18th, 11:38
I say ol'chap i presume Maltese Yeah? i'm British as it happens i too misspell< quite often, any intelligent person with a brain without being sarcastic can put 2 & 2 together &make out a text .i do not really think that English is Mr.Svenson's mother tongue,next time sunshine be a little be polite, show a bit more respect to the people that are making your country rich, Yeah. Are you a teacher?
Joseph Grech Attard
Feb 18th, 11:46
@ P. Caruana - Oh there is something else one can do. Make them legal as was done before!! And if very near to an election, better. And i am speaking about both two main parties! Just have a look at the areas in the north of Malta - Armier, Little Armier, White Rocks, Mellieha Bay, Gnejna, .etc. They were also given street names, W&E, Telephone, etc. And from where shall the bridge to Gozo start?
Mr Tony Gatt
Feb 18th, 12:08
@ Alexandra Mallia Borg
Er- I think you fired your bullets at the wrong person- it was Law Agius who made those uncalled-for remarks.
JR Apap
Feb 18th, 12:41
Law Aguis<<<< have you by any chance a master's degree in English grammar -Queen's English? if so we are looking for editors/print READERS< & Correctors/translators to assist a well known Book Co., in Birmingham of all places.
Eve Axiaq
Feb 18th, 08:44
Johorgu enforecement notice biex idahhku n-nies ghax hadd ma jehodhom bis-serjeta. Imbaghad gieli jsibu lil xi hadd xortih hazina u jghamlu show bih fuq il PBS ghax ihottulu hajt.
S Vella
Feb 18th, 09:43
Proset!! ezatt.....enforcement notice suppost isimha maghha imma ma min iridu juzaw is-sahha.
S Muscat
Feb 18th, 11:10
Prosit!! Ma stajtx tghid ahjar
Adrian Borg
Feb 18th, 08:39
Strong with the weak, weak with the strong, my opinion!!!!
Peter Bonello
Feb 18th, 09:19
very true unfortunately!
mario salnitro
Feb 18th, 08:33
Try to guess which Political party the supposed owner belongs to!!!!!
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 18th, 12:14
Tal-Ajkla? Looks like the terrace is in a good position to watch birds.
mario salnitro
Feb 18th, 14:25
Att Andrew Camilleri a very good comment indeed proset.
chris bugeja
Feb 18th, 08:19
What next?Rooms with a harbour view in St Angelo?Past performance points you only in one direction that it's worth a try.
George Cassar
Feb 18th, 08:01
Wow, so many elections have come and gone between 1996 and today. Why is it still standing?
Alan Dunn
Feb 18th, 08:01
What is the point of issuing enforcement notices, if they are not going to be enforced????? seems to me the Maltese people frequently get short changed by thier civil servants and other public services.
Mr Mike Farrugia
Feb 18th, 07:54
Sssshhhhh. Taghajjatx ghax tqajjem il-Gvern.
Eric Camilleri (Q)
Feb 18th, 07:11
March 1996................August 2011...............after 17 years what is illegal has stayed so. I have no clue about this case however what I know for sure is that when an enforcement officer issues a notice by Mepa that's about all that is done.....just paperwork...........and as I have been told about a case I had to report..........once the notice is issued case is ARCHIVED......That's all !
Joseph Grech Attard
Feb 18th, 11:50
@ Eric Camilleri - i beg to disagree. After the paperwork is done, there is a lot of scrutinous 'oralwork, and it is only after that, that the case is archived or otherwise!!
George Busuttil
Feb 18th, 07:11
Name and shame
M Vella
Feb 18th, 07:02
Who lives there??????????
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Feb 18th, 12:15
Looks like somebody with blue eyes.
John Wayne
Feb 18th, 13:27
Some PN acolyte I suppose.
Please choose the reason of your report below: