A former quarry in Maghtab, which has been turned into a batching plant, with offices, garages and the manufacturing of precast concrete blocks, was at long last given a permit together with the sanctioning of some illegalities but was also fined €80,000.

The plant has a permit dating back to 1982, and a 1994 one but building and improvements continued even without a permit.

Former PN MP Philip Mifsud, aided by lawyer Paul Lia, defended the applicant and explained what further improvements were asked for by this application. There was not much the Directorate could say about and against this application.

The problem came when the board was about to decide the extent of the fine that had to be imposed. The Mepa chairman suggested €100,000, which obviously the applicant felt was too drastic a fine. But a board member reminded the applicant it was only some Lm40,000.

Another board member linked the extent of the fine to the long number of years from 2001 and today. But Dr Lia pointed out that the application to sanction had been submitted just two or three years later but has been marking time inside Mepa.

PN MP Ryan Callus said this was shameful on the part of Mepa.

On the other hand, some board members were incensed that the plant continued to operate without a full permit but they were replied to by other members of the board that one could not expect otherwise when a permit gets blocked and delayed.

At the end, the sum of €100,000 was revised down to €75,000 but then increased to €80,000 about which there was final agreement.