Mepa has turned down an application by the owners of Splash and Fun waterpark in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq to build a new entry point to the park – citing an extensive list of illegalities at the park.

The Environment and Planning Commission board said this morning that the application could not be accepted until the park owners addressed a pending enforcement notice – listing no fewer than 11 separate illegalities.

The illegal developments include a pool, rooms, excavations, several rides, timber structures and toilets not built according to the approved plans.

The park owners had submitted the application due to extensive changes to the road configuration outside the park during the recent upgrading and reconstruction of the Coast Road. The application also included slight modifications to the exit point, which would remain in the same location.

The project architect said the entrance to the park had not been considered by Transport Malta as part of the Coast Road project and currently represented a hazard as there was no lay-by or separate lanes.

He said the illegalities were being dealt with as part of a master plan for the park being prepared for submission to Mepa. The master plan had become necessary due to the lack of specific planning policies relating to fun parks, which was hindered all the park’s planning applications.

The EPC board, however, said the application was premature while the illegalities were still pending and voted unanimously to reject.