News | Sunday, 13 December 2009

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Ministry will remove illegal offices

James Debono
The Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs is considering relocating the Cleaning Services Department after MEPA issued a direct action notice, which if enforced would see it removing a government building for the first time in its history.
MEPA issued the order in 2005 but the department applied to regularise this development, which MEPA later turned down.
The department ignored the decision, and last June MEPA issued another enforcement notice, this time against “offices and stores” built without a permit. The offices consist of temporary metal and wooden structures.
The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage objected to the development because of its vicinity to the Kordin Megalithic temples. “It is a cause for concern that a government department does not respect due procedure, creating a threat to any archaeological remains that might have been on the site,” the Superintendence wrote to MEPA in 2006.
The illegal premises were built when the department had to relocate from their premises in Marsa. “The only available place it could occupy without incurring a heavy rent and go into substantial expense to construct a new premises was a small complex of offices and land at Corradino,” a ministry spokesperson said.
But the complex was however too small to provide the necessary facilities from where this department could operate. Two storage rooms had to be urgently built, and an external area levelled to accommodate a number of containers that are needed for everyday use by the department.
Because of the enforcement notice, the ministry is considering the relocation of the Cleansing Services Department to another area. “When this move is completed, the structures which are mentioned in the enforcement order will be removed,” the ministry spokesperson told MaltaToday.

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