Ministry orders illegally-built houses in island group demolished

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The Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction has ordered 40 illegally-built houses in an island group demolished.
The houses are in the Pakleni Islands along the central Adriatic coast, according to the daily "Jutarnji list."
The Ministry has refused to reveal either the exact number or the date on which demolition will begin.
Most of the owners have no building permit since it was impossible to get one because the islands have had the status of nature reserves since 1968. If long-awaited zoning regulations are ever officially approved, permits for small houses might become available.
Some observers believe the governments of the city of Hvar and of Split-Dalmatian county are partly responsible for the houses' construction. Most of the illegal houses are said to be on the island of Saint Klement.
The well-known Italian Meneghello family, who have run their Palmizana resort on the island for more than a century, owns an apartment resort on Saint Klement.
Dagmar Meneghello said she had not been surprised by news of the impending demolitions. She said she had been waiting in vain for a zoning plan for years. The fate of her properties on the island is uncertain.
The Pakleni islands are a favourite destination of prominent Croatian and world celebrities because they offer quiet and wild beauty without paparazzi. The ministry and many local residents believe that beauty has been degraded by the new houses.