More than 23 truckloads of illegally dumped material and three hunting and trapping rooms have been removed from a site by the planning authority in the area known as Il-Ponta ta’ Delimara.

Enforcement action on the area started on Thursday, where over the years multiple illegalities were carried out compromising the sensitivity of the site, Mepa said in a statement.

During the operation, Mepa’s enforcement officers removed over 23 large truckloads of scrap and illegally dumped material.

The material was removed from two sides of the site: while one area is close to the historic Delimara Lighthouse, the other accommodated a series of “very large” trapping facilities illegally formed on natural terrain.

Three rooms, used mainly for bird-trapping and hunting, were demolished.

Mepa was assisted by the ALE Section of the Police.

On Thursday the planning authority was notified that an injunction was presented to the courts by the contravener’s lawyer to stop any further direct action on site.

The 30,000-square metre site, covering more than 26 tumoli and spanning from the Delimara Lighthouse to the tip of the peninsula, is within a spot scheduled as an Area of High Landscape Value and Area of Ecological Importance for Coastal and Cliff communities.

Enforcement action was imposed in May 2002 at this same site, when illegally dumped scrap material and vehicles were removed.

Mepa said the occupant persisted in his illegal activities and even constructed a residential unit on the site.

In 2002, the costs of the direct action operation were billed to the Lands Department as the land owner, this time round, following amendments to the law, the occupant of the site will be made to cover the costs of the enforcement action.