The direct action team of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa), assisted by personnel from the Lands Department within the Government Property Division, moved in with large machinery on the Selmun area yesterday, to start a demolition and clean up operation on a number of illegal developments which will take several days.

The operation includes the demolition of illegal rooms, the infill of an illegally excavated reservoir, the removal of dumped material, scrap and disused vehicles, the removal of illegal gates and retaining walls and other minor illegalities that infringed development planning regulations.

Mepa said some of the sites fall within the Natura 2000 site known as the L-Imgiebah/Tal-Mignuna area, which is also designated as a Special Area of Conservation and an Area of Ecological and Scientific Importance. Most of the illegalities are on government-owned land that had been leased to third parties by the Commissioner of Lands.

Owners of these illegal structures had been served with an enforcement notice by the Mepa in the past but had never removed the illegality as required by law. Some have also tried to sanction their illegal development, but had their planning application refused by the Development Control Commission.

The authority said it will continue with its efforts to ensure that the national countryside will one day be freed from all illegal developments while safeguarding the country against the loss of biodiversity.

Members of the Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE) police were on site to assist in the operation.