Mellieħa mayor calls on Planning Authority to ‘enforce their own notice’ on illegal Armier villa

Mellieħa mayor Gabriel Micallef has called on the Planning Authority to enforce its notice and intervene urgently over ongoing illegal works at Armier, where a cleared site has been converted into a substantial structure despite the enforcement notice.

In an email sent on Wednesday morning to the Planning Authority's enforcement complaints unit and the Qawra police station, Micallef said works appear to have continued unabated despite the issuance of Enforcement Notice EC/00071/26, which requires the site to be restored to its original state within a stipulated timeframe.

"When an Enforcement Notice is not followed by effective enforcement, people are right to ask questions," Micallef said in a statement. "If an Enforcement Notice is issued, it should be enforced. Otherwise, the message being sent is that those who break the rules can simply carry on as if nothing happened."

The mayor said that since the initial report by the Malta Ranger Unit (MRU), the structure has been taking shape day by day. He warned that the continued execution of works after the enforcement notice raises serious concerns regarding compliance, enforcement effectiveness, and the protection of environmentally sensitive areas, particularly given that the site is located within a Natura 2000 area.

Micallef requested that the Planning Authority carry out an immediate site inspection, confirm whether works are still ongoing, and take all necessary enforcement measures to halt any further development.

He thanked the Malta Ranger Unit for its continued efforts in documenting such cases. "This is about respect for the rules, the law, and for all those who expect the system to work equally for everyone," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Malta Ranger Unit condemned the Planning Authority's "powerless" enforcement notice, which they said allowed a pile of pallets and concrete blocks to become a villa in two weeks. The site was reported days before the election, and photos show it now resembles a villa.

The illegal development is being carried out by Franklin Mangion of Żurrieq, a minority shareholder in Solitaire Property Ltd, a property development company currently in dissolution. Mangion is also the sole shareholder in Admin Services Ltd, a Mellieħa-based company that provides condominium administration services.

In June, the MRU accused the Planning Authority of not taking effective action against an illegal villa on scheduled land in Mellieħa. Rangers first raised concerns on 18 January after spotting a truck parked oddly near the site. By 30 January, the Authority confirmed daily fines had started, increasing over time and potentially leading to demolition once €50,000 is reached.

By April, an excavator was still on site, and enforcement officers later confirmed that a cesspit had been constructed without authorisation. Three days later, the excavated area had been covered and water tanks had been installed on the roof, according to photographs.