Hundreds of illegally built “boathouses” at St Thomas Bay in Marsascala may be sanctioned under an action plan being developed by the planning authority.

A spokesman for the authority told The Times that the action plan would provide guidelines and “holistic direction” similar to the Qawra/Dwejra Action Plan. This takes into consideration the boathouses built illegally over the decades in the protected and scenic bay of Dwejra in Gozo.

The spokesman said that once the action plan is approved, the boathouse owners would be “in a position to regularise the land and can put in an application to sanction”.

However, this will take time and, so far, there is no deadline in sight. “It is still in very early stages – we are working on the terms of reference and, eventually, a draft copy will have to be issued for public consultation,” the spokesman said.

It is estimated there are around 370 boathouses at St Thomas Bay, which are populated by families every year to enjoy a summer by the sea. The area is also very popular with caravan owners who in summer park their vehicles on concrete platforms built illegally on the beach.

Over the years, several environmental organisations have urged the government to crack down on the boathouses, which were becoming more numerous as time went by.

The Mepa spokesman maintained that some enforcement was taking place irrespective of the upcoming plan, pointing out that enforcement officers in recent weeks had removed concrete platforms as well as material dumped on the roadside.

The news of the action plan comes on the back of a recent decision by the planning authority to reject five requests to sanction extensions to boathouses in Dwejra.

Last year it had turned down another 13 requests.