An issue concerning the legal title of land occupied by several houses in Nadur  could escalate and affect more localities, Gozitan MP Chris Said has warned.

Last month several Nadur residents were notified that the land they occupied did not belong to them but to a 17th-century foundation's beneficiaries.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Said called on the government to take the matter seriously, adding that house visits by the prime minister and a public meeting were more of a “media stunt”.

“Weeks have gone by and the government has done nothing. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, residents are still worried,” he said.

“This registration dispute will affect other large tracts of land in Gozo, which in turn will affect more residences,” he said.

Last month the Nadur council presented a petition to parliamentary secretary Alex Muscat when the latter visited the locality for a public meeting. During the meeting it transpired that the issue was also affecting parts of Qala.

Around three dozen houses sit on the two ares of land that were registered at the Land Registry by the Benefiċċju Ta’ Sant Antonio Delli Navarra, a foundation set up in 1675 by noblewoman Cosmana Navarra. The noblewoman placed vast lands in the east of Gozo, mostly in Qala, under the foundation set up for religious purposes.

Hundreds of people have queued outside the Land Registry to check on their properties. The queues that only disappeared when the Land Registry closed its doors to the public because of COVID-19.