People Are Constructing A Makeshift Coastline Property In Mellieħa… And Authorities Have Yet To Take Action
A group of people have taken to building their very own seafront property on a piece of untouched coastline in the Dawret It-Tunnara area in Mellieħa, with indications showing that they hold no permit to do so.
The authorities, it seems, are yet to act, despite Lovin Malta lodging an official complaint with the Planning Authority around a week ago. As of today, no further information has been given to the newsroom beyond “investigations are taking place”.
The failure to deliver on the promise of investigation is what drove sources to send over the material to the newsroom, having grown frustrated by the inaction from authorities.
“We’ve tried contacting the local council, the police, and the PA to no avail,” sources explained, “we’ve reported similar cases and nothing has happened.”
The area, sources explain, is reportedly rife with building infractions, with one person describing it as a “Brazilian favela”.
A neighbour had allegedly already done the same as the coastline contractor, with sources decrying that “he probably just wants a sundeck” like others have done before him.
The PA’s website shows absolutely no indication that a permit of any kind has been issued on what should be protected coastline.
In fact, the only application of note was an enforcement notice calling for the destruction of a room that was built without a permit.
The makeshift construction site also seems to be right above a freshwater creek that joins with the sea.
Malta’s boathouses have long been a matter of some controversy, with critics finding issue with the ease at which people were able to transform tracts of public land into their own private residences.
Successive governments turned a blind eye to the practice until recent legislation declared that any building which is visible on aerial photographs dating back up to 1978 was legally established.
Site of the PA's Geo Server (Red Box Is Enforcement Notice)
What do you make of this latest sighting?
READ NEXT: All Of Malta’s Contractors And Builders Must Be Registered With The MDA By September As ‘Revolution For The Industry’ Kicks Off
