Mepa this morning rejected an application by Mark Gaffarena to sanction illegalities at a Naxxar home which include two bedrooms built over a public lane and abutting on another property. 

The decision was taken after the Mepa board rejected a request from Mr Gaffarena's architect to put off the sitting due to unforeseen medical reasons. The board said somebody else from the architect's office could have attended the sitting. 

Mr Gaffarena's building includes a residential unit built before 1992, which was extended in a way that clashes with the original structure and occupies an Urban Conversation Area. 

The case officer had reported that the permit application was requesting  “the sanctioning of the roofing over a part of a public lane that was camouflaged in the submitted drawings by indicating the last part of the lane as if it were a garage when in fact it gives access to a public area and a number of garages; avoiding showing that a section passes through the illegally roofed part of the lane by describing this part as third party property, with both bedroom one and two built over a public lane”.

The case officer had recommended refusal of the permit