Some illegally-placed caravans at the Armier campsite have been removed ahead of an on-site inspection by the Planning Authority, but a host of other serious infringements remain pending.
The issue revolves around an enforcement notice issued in October, when the planning watchdog ordered facility administrator Vince Vella to comply with the conditions of a permit issued in 2004.
An appeal was lodged by Mr Vella and the case remains pending before the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal. Sources said that an on-site inspection as part of the proceedings that started in December was yet to take place.
On Wednesday, the administrator took the initiative to remove a number of mobile homes that had been placed outside the site’s footprint. A Planning Authority spokesman confirmed that this operation, which was carried out by means of a crane, was done with its approval.
The clarification was sought by Times of Malta due to the fact that two weeks earlier, the contravener had been caught red-handed removing the same caravans, only to place them on the other side of the facility.
The attempt to regularise his position backfired when the authority forced him to reverse the action and return the mobile homes to their original location, at his own expense.
While this particular infringement seems to have been addressed, it was just one of the many infringements flagged in the enforcement notice.
Read: Armier campsites being 'used as fixed addresses'
Apart from the illegal encroachment on an adjacent road, the authority is insisting that use of static caravans as “fixed” residences was in breach of the permit.
Another issue flagged was the unauthorised alteration of the main building, parts of which were converted from a restaurant to a dormitory.
The strict guidelines on how the land should have been allocated had also been breached. According to the permit, a quarter of the site should be dedicated to camping facilities, a fifth for mobile caravans and 16% landscaped. However, over the years, the complex gradually morphed into a conglomeration of mobile homes crammed close to each other.
Meanwhile, campsite ‘tenants’ were closely following the appeal proceedings after having “invested” large sums to acquire a mobile home. Last November, The Sunday Times of Malta reported more than 70 people were claiming to have been “conned” into buying these structures costing about €30,000 each.
Caravan enthusiasts reported they had been sold the mobile homes by Mr Vella through a written agreement, which specified a yearly payment of about €20 per square metre of leased land. They claimed they only learned that such deal was not allowed when the enforcement notice was issued.
Mr Vella denied the claims, saying he always acted in good faith.