Questions on the legality of the Marsascala mobile police station were left unanswered after authorities failed to address if this structure is covered by a planning permit.

On May 13, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said in Parliament that arrangements were being made to issue a permanent permit for this structure, as it is only covered by a temporary one which is set to expire after one week.

Minister Abela was replying to a parliamentary question filed by PN MP Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici.

Yet three weeks later, neither the ministry nor the planning authority replied when asked by this newspaper if the permanent permit had been issued. A Home Affairs Ministry spokeswoman referred us to the reply given in Parliament last month.

Inaugurated last October to increase the police presence in this coastal village, the container-turned-police station was originally located near the salt marshes of Il-Magħluq. However, it was never covered by a proper permit, as no full development application was submitted by the ministry.

Consequently, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority had issued a temporary clearance which expired last February, when the structure was removed.

The mobile station reappeared a few weeks later, this time at a different location in Ġnien Sant’Anna, a short distance from the parish church.

Once again, a temporary four-month permit was issued on January 20 by Mepa CEO Johann Buttigieg. It expired last month.