Construction magnate Charles Polidano has applied to sanction a long list of illegalities at Montekristo Estates, once described by the planning regulator as “one of the largest illegally built sites on the island”.

The sanctioning request includes a list of developments carried out over the years without planning permits at the Montekristo winery and vineyards in Ħal-Farruġ, on the outskirts of Siġġiewi. It also includes proposed changes to areas and uses.

Polidano – known as iċ-Ċaqnu – has applied for sanctioning of the entrance foyer, gate, passageways and the picnic and family recreational areas.

He also wants to extend the bottling plant and winery, use the areas there for conferences, receptions, fairs and exhibitions, create a fun park and make space for additional parking.

Polidano has applied to sanction the change of use of an approved store underneath the bottling plant into a multi-purpose and entertainment hall, change part of the wine bottling plant into a restaurant and formalise an unused space into a beer production area.

The planning application carries a 2009 PA number (PA5788/09).

However, the PA site says the application and the site notice were being “re-published”. Representations are now being accepted until November 29.

In November 2013, Planning Authority officials had descended on the large site accompanied by scores of soldiers and police officers. However, the PA’s hopes of demolishing the illegalities on site were short lived when Polidano obtained a court injunction to stop the direct action.

At the time, the PA had said that according to its estimates, illegal construction work in the area owned by Polidano covered around 64,000 square metres of land.

It had said that illegalities were covered by numerous enforcement notices, many of which had already been in force for years.

The government had said on the day that abuse could not be tolerated and it would continue to insist on the removal of the illegal structures.

In 2020, Times of Malta revealed how the Planning Authority had halted illegal works at Montekristo Estates.

PA enforcement officers stopped the construction of two towers on either side of the main gate to the complex.

Just last year, the Planning Authority sanctioned illegal developments on Polidano’s concrete batching plant in

Ħal-Farruġ as well as an adjacent building that serves as sleeping quarters for foreign employees.