‘Heat is on’ against illegal development, says MEPA

NATIONAL Friday, August 19, 2011

‘Heat is on’ against illegal development, says MEPA

By Nestor Laiviera

MEPA said that it demolished an illegally constructed room which had been roofed with metal sheets and was being used as a store for scrap, tyres and other material in an ODZ site, adjacent to Fort Binġemma, limits of Rabat.

MEPA’s Enforcement Directorate carries out direct action on sites in Ħal Safi, Siggiewi, Zebbug, Rabat and Ghajnsielem in Gozo against contraventions and illegal developments.

MEPA said that “despite the summer heat”, its enforcement directorate carried out direct actions on several sites around Malta and Gozo.

It said that in the first case, an inspection was carried out on a site in the area known as Tal-Karwija, limits of Ħal Safi, where MEPA found that “large stores and a number of smaller rooms had been constructed without a permit, while scrap and other material had also been dumped on site.”

Two of the stores were being used for disused vehicles and to accommodate a substantial amount of other material, MEPA said, adding that prior to demolishing the illegal structures, it removed all the material from on the site.

“Following co-operation by the contravenor, the Authority gave the site owner a few days chance to remove the remaining illegalities himself,” MEPA said, adding that it is “monitoring the site to ensure that all the illegalities will be removed.”

MEPA added that its officers also removed an illegally built room and boundary wall together with anumber of precast concrete slabs along a remote cliff-edge overlooking Wied il-Kbir, in Triq Għar Ħanzir, limits of Siġġiewi.

MEPA also said that it demolished an illegally constructed room which had been roofed with metal sheets and was being used as a store for scrap, tyres and other material in an ODZ site, adjacent to Fort Binġemma, limits of Rabat

In another operation, MEPA said its officers also reduced the height of a number of rural boundary walls which had been constructed beyond the permitted level, while also demolished an illegally built brick wall along a large rural site in Zebbug.

A number of enforcement actions were taken in the area known as Ta’ Lambert, close to the Heliport, in Ghajnsielem, Gozo, MEPA added.

“Assisted by the Gozo Police, the first enforcement action was taken in Triq Ta’ Bwier were MEPA officers removed inert material, large concrete slabs and stones that had been dumped in a field,” MEPA said.

 “Later in the week, the enforcement team had to return back to this site since more material and stone blocks were once again illegal dumped in the site. Adjacent to this site, officer also demolished an illegal room along the roadside.”

In the Tal-Briegħen area, MEPA said, it had started demolishing another two illegal rooms, but had stopped due to “the presentation of prohibitory injunction by the land owner to the courts to impede the Authority from carrying its duties.”

“By the time the injunction was served, most of the rooms had already been demolished,” MEPA said.  

It added that further actions are envisaged in the area of Ghajnsielem, “renowned for its lawless development and dumping.”

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