A large parcel of agricultural land at the periphery of the development zone boundary in Xewkija, Gozo which over the years was illegally converted into a scrapyard is being cleared by the Planning Authority (PA) through a direct action operation that commenced earlier this morning, the PA said in a statement Thursday.

Officers from the PA’s Compliance & Enforcement Directorate accompanied by members of the Police Force moved in after the site occupier was warned, on several occasions, to fully abide by the instructions of the enforcement notices and clear out the site.

The illegal scrapyard, covering over 25,000m2 of land situated in the area known as Tal-Ħniena, is subject to two enforcement notices, one of which carries a daily penalty which has reached a total of €50,000.

Over the years, the agricultural land has been abusively turned into a dump yard, mostly comprising of dilapidated vehicles and parts thereof. Truckloads of dumped material have started being carted away and will be transferred to licenced waste management facilities. The operation being carried out by the PA seeks to entirely clear the illegally dumped material and return the land to its original state.

The direct action is being carried out at the full expense of the contravenor. The Authority draws the public's attention that dilapidated vehicles and other similar waste must only be disposed of in a responsible manner in licensed waste facilities.