The planning authority did not allow a construction company to do any development work on a 300-year-old palace garden in Balzan.

Instead, it issued an emergency conservation order, scheduling the Grade 2 property and its extensive gardens for “its significant historical, architectural and contextual values”, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority said.

The conservation order obliges the owner to repair the damaged parts and identify other areas that are in need of urgent repairs, according to the development watchdog.

It rebutted claims by Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar that it had ignored reports about the uprooting of trees and removal of soil. The planning authority had slapped developer Charles Polidano with an enforcement notice, stopping him from carrying out illegal work in the gardens of protected Balzan townhouses.

Enforcement officers found that work was under way at four historic townhouses in the village core. Mr Polidano had repeatedly applied to knock them down to instead build six terraced houses, with swimming pools.

Mepa pointed out that it only gave its consent for the “restoration of a number of historical features” and immediately issued an enforcement notice when it was informed that the contractor had started to remove trees.

Mepa said it was “conscious of the importance of green enclaves in village cores and considers such infringements very seriously”.

A spokesman said it was “finalising” the legal notice that would regulate the introduction of new daily fines. The draft notice was issued for public consultation last year and was discussed by a parliamentary committee.

“The introduction of such fines would tighten Mepa’s enforcement by dissuading people from and penalising them for carrying out illegal development,” the spokesman said.