A protected 20th-century fort has been illegally converted into a hunting complex, complete with trapping sites, hunting hides and an aviary.

Fort Bengħajsa, on the limits of Birżebbuġa, has the highest level of heri­tage protection, and is described by Visit Malta as a “magnificent reminder of Malta’s glorious past”.

But its occupiers have built an illegal house and garages inside, according to a Planning Authority enforcement notice that has been active since 2016. The moat that surrounds the fort is also littered with scrap metal, construction waste and a dumped sofa.

Built by the British between 1910 and 1912 as the last major coastal defence fort, Fort Bengħajsa was given Grade 1 status in 1996. The Cultural Heritage Act bans any demolition or alteration work on Grade 1 buildings that would impair their setting or change their external appearance, except for restoration purposes.

A gun emplacement has been converted into an aviary.

However, the enforcement notice outlines several alterations that had been made to the fortification at the time. It says a residential building, complete with a front garden, two stand-alone rooms, a low wall, two garages, a stable, aviaries, two hunters’ hides and a paddock, were all illegally built in the fortification measuring 865 metres in perimeter. A gun emplacement where canons were once installed was roofed, and abandoned cars and scrap metal has been discarded on the site.

The enforcement notice lists the Lands Authority and a Richard Azzopardi as contraveners of the still-active case. It comes with daily fines, but the Planning Authority website notes that these are all ‘pending’.

The area appears to be actively used by hunters and trappers. A finch trapping site and at least five hunting hides are on site.

Not much has changed in six years. Many of the contraventions mentioned in the enforcement notice were still visible in recently taken pictures seen by Times of Malta.

The area appears to be actively used by hunters and trappers. A finch trapping site and at least five hunting hides are on site. A large gun emplacement has been converted into an aviary, holding live birds.

A typical hunting installation where eucalyptus trees are planted next to lined empty cans is also on site. The cans are used as rattles to scare off any birds settled in trees so that they can then be shot, a hunting expert told Times of Malta.

The moat of the fort is littered with construction waste.

Construction waste and bulky refuse, including doors, a sofa and scrap metal, all litter a moat that follows the perimeter of the fort.

Fort Bengħajsa formed part of a string of fortifications in the area. The large polygonal fort was built directly along a cliff face and housed six gun emplacements that held canons.

It is unclear whether it is in private hands or publicly owned. A 2011 Malta Today article said the fort was rented out to private individuals in the 1970s for animal husbandry purposes. It reported that the government had stopped accepting rents and intended to evict its tenants.

The PA issued an enforcement notice six years ago. It remains active.

However, Visit Malta, a government website promoting tourism, describes the building as privately owned.

Questions sent last week to the Planning Authority, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, the Lands Authority and the Lands Ministry have all gone unanswered.