In every square kilometre of Gozo one finds an average of 22 planning irregularities covered by a MEPA enforcement order. But there is only one enforcement officer for every 17 square kilometres of the island’s territory.
Small wonder the Malta Environment and Planning Authority has only taken direct action in 11 cases over the past five years, and some of the pending enforcement orders date back more than a decade.
At present there are only four MEPA enforcement officers in Gozo to keep track of 1,503 pending enforcements, and to detect new illegalities. They form part of a team of 31 enforcement officers covering both Malta and Gozo.
Only 275 of the 1503 pending enforcements are covered by an application to sanction. MEPA is unable to take action until a decision is taken on these applications.
MEPA has taken direct action against just 11 planning contraventions in Gozo in the past five years, eight of which in the past 10 months alone.
Effectively, not one single direct action against illegal development in Gozo took place in the three years between 2004 and 2006 – suggesting a lax approach by the authorities towards planning law enforcement in Gozo.
Two of MEPA’s enforcement actions in Gozo were under media scrutiny as they involved a company owned by the brothers of Nadur mayor Chris Said. Said claims to have reported one of these illegalities himself in 2005.
But some enforcement orders date back a very long time. An enforcement order against an illegal bridge in Munxar valley was referred for direct action in 2004. Another against a scrap-yard on the Rabat road in Nadur has been idle since 2003. Yet another scrap-yard in is-Saqwi Fontana, limits of Rabat, has been awaiting direct action since August 2006. An enforcement order issued against a car servicing garage in Triq Giuseppe Labre in Rabat in 1998 is still awaiting enforcement even if it was referred for direct action six years ago in 2002. An entire batching plant and tile factory in Ta’Xhajma was served with an enforcement action in 1993 – almost 15 years ago – but is still awaiting direct action.
MEPA has also been impotent to enforce the law in picturesque localities like Dahlet Qorrot bay, limits of Nadur. An enforcement order issued against an illegal boathouse in 1998 is still pending even if it was referred to the direct action team in 1999. A kiosk in the same bay has been awaiting an enforcement order since 2004.
A number of villas in Triq it-Torri Gorgun were served with an enforcement notice in 1996 only to apply for sanctioning in 2006.
A number of flats in Triq ta’Cordina in Ghajnsielem were served with an enforcement notice in 1996 but are still awaiting direct action.
Despite rampant illegal development in Gozo, between 2003 and 2006 only 13% of MEPA’s direct actions were taken in Gozo. But things seem to have changed in the past few months. In fact, 17% of MEPA’s direct actions in 2007 took place in Gozo.
In the past year Environment Minister George Pullicino has pushed amendments to the law to stop any sanctioning of illegal development outside development schemes. But MEPA still faces a backlog of cases which expose its impotence in the face of illegal development in Gozo.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt