Gozitan property mogul Joseph Portelli has been served with an enforcement notice and daily fines over illegalities on fields overlooking the picturesque San Blas Bay.

According to the notice, seen by Times of Malta, Portelli – identified by the Planning Authority as the contravener – was accused of carrying out unauthorised development consisting of a change of land use from a field to a place of recreation, and the laying of tents and related structures, beach furniture and artificial turf on scheduled land.

A month after Times of Malta reported the matter to the PA, the illegal structures increased rather than decreased, with the Planning Authority explaining that daily fines are being imposed until the site is cleared of all illegalities.

San Blas Bay, and its environs in Nadur, are in an area known as Il-Qortin Isopo and Il-Qortin tal-Magun.

Through a notice published in August 2006, the PA scheduled the geomorphological features and the associated floral assemblages there as a Level 1 area of ecological importance and a Level 1 site of scientific importance.

During its investigations into the illegal development carried out by Portelli, the PA also issued a separate enforcement notice against the owner of a kiosk at the beach who was accused of failing to seek a permit to change land use from a field “to a place where a commercial activity is taking place”, laying structures, cooking on-site, beach furniture, laying of artificial turf, umbrellas, chairs and tables, all without a permit.

A photo of the same site last week after the PA started investigating the illegalities.

PA scheduled San Blas as a Level 1 area of ecological importance and a Level 1 site of scientific importance

The contravener, in this case, is Stephen Bigeni.

According to PA plans, the field where Portelli carried out illegal development is the same one that had been slapped with enforcement notices in 2014 when the construction magnate had been ordered to dismantle all structures or face a daily fine of €50.

At the time, the illegal structures, consisting of a metal canopy frame and a metal gate, had been dismantled just a day after the Planning Authority issued the enforcement order.

A few years later, a similar structure reappeared, but this time, one of the two fields, connected with a staircase, was also covered in synthetic turf.

The illegal patio with a shaded area, armchairs and a barbecue area, also covered with artificial turf, comes with its own parking area in the field next to the lane that leads down to the beach.

Over the last two years, winter storms have washed away the remaining sand on the beach which, however, remains one of the quietest and quaintest places in Gozo.

Portelli stirred controversy recently over a notorious development in the village of Qala where he proposed to turn a disused room in the countryside into a massive villa.

The application prompted widespread outrage following its approval by the PA last November. That decision was later overturned on appeal.

That same month, Portelli had also managed to obtain a permit to demolish a vernacular building with a large garden in Sannat centre and turn it into a block of 16 apartments and 15 garages.