Alfa wedding hall gets enforcement order over illegal construction

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has issued an enforcement order against John Abela Ltd, owners of the Alfa Gardens wedding hall in Ta’ Qali, in connection with planning breaches.

The authority has recently finalised an investigation of the planning breaches and an enforcement order has been formalised.

The order has been issued against the construction of various rooms and structures including containers, paving and formation of passageways and landscaping works.

A new access and a gate were also installed without a permit.

The wedding hall lies just outside a zone scheduled for its ‘High Landscape Value’.

John Abela Ltd, the company facing enforcement proceedings, is the owner of Alfaran trailers. It never presented a planning application to sanction the works.

Alfa Gardens are one of the wedding venues employed by the Catermax Group, owned by the Corinthia hotel chain and the Vassallo Builders Group. 

But the company, which started using the venue only last year, denies responsibility for any illegalities.

The wedding hall is advertised on the company’s website as one offering  “opulent” open views of picturesque Mdina and its surroundings

Labour deputy leader for party affairs Toni Abela made reference to the case in an article penned in Ilum in July, when he referred to a breach made in a rubble wall a short distance from Mount Carmel hospital.

The enforcement was triggered by questions sent by MaltaToday last month on the legality of the site.