Work in a Mosta Outside Development Zone area commissioned by the government’s Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools has continued despite a Mepa order to stop, the Opposition said yesterday.

Addressing a news conference on site, accompanied by Mosta mayor Shirley Farrugia, planning spokesman Ryan Callus described the infringement as “scandalous”, particularly because it was commissioned by a government entity.

Last week, the planning authority stopped the work in progress on behalf of the FTS without the necessary permit after Times of Malta exposed the issue. Yet, it was clear yesterday that work had progressed during the past week.

“It is the government’s role to ensure the law is observed. When that happens, the government has to make sure steps are taken against those responsible. It is extremely serious when the government is responsible for breaking the law,” Mr Callus said.

Residents and the local council had already drawn the attention of the planning authority to the ongoing work at the Mosta site weeks before, but no action had been taken.

The foundation insisted that no permit was needed, even after Mepa had instructed it to stop the work. It said it was only restoring the field for agricultural use to be included in the school’s curriculum. The work was intended to remove “illegally dumped material” on site, it said.

The attitude we have now is that everyone can do what he likes

This turned out to be debris from the construction of the government school located opposite the field in Triq il-Biedja, which was completed three years earlier.

When Mepa sent its enforcement officer to the site after questions from this newspaper, the authority found work was being done for a proposed access passageway and a gate to the field. This work required a permit, Mepa said.

“Somebody within the education ministry has approved this work. Who?” Mr Callus asked.

The site yesterday shows work commissioned by the government’s Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools continuing despite a Mepa order to stop.

The mayor expressed her anger at Mepa’s lack of cooperation with local councils. She said the council had sent an e-mail to Mepa on the case on January 13 with a reminder sent on January 21.

The authority only replied to the council on January 27, after Times of Malta raised the matter.

“We did our job. Why did Mepa ignore our complaints? Why did it close an eye?” Dr Farrugia asked.

Mr Callus said the case was another example showing the Mepa enforcement directorate was useless.

It also showed enforcement action was not a priority for a Labour government, he said.

“The attitude we have now is that everyone can do what he likes,” Mr Callus said.

The amnesty proposed for illegal development was another example, he added, saying the Opposition had not yet been consulted on the issue and would oppose a blanket amnesty.