Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1011650
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 AUGUST 2018 NEWS Operational Programme I – Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges ANNOUNCEMENT - CALL VIII European Regional Development Fund The Managing Authority for Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 in Malta - the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division (PPCD) within the Ministry of European Affairs and Equality (MEAE) - would like to announce that it is launching a call for project proposals under the Priority Axis and Investment Priority listed below to be undertaken by Ministries, Government Departments, Public Sector, Public Institutions, NGOs and Voluantary Organisations. The call will close on Friday, 12 th October 2018 at noon. Priority Axis 8 – 'Investing towards a more socially-inclusive society' Investment Priority (IP) 9a – Investing in health and social infrastructure which contributes to national, regional and local development, reducing inequalities in terms of health status, promoting social inclusion through improved access to social, cultur al and recreational services and the transition from institutional to community-based services. The online application form for the submission of project proposals is available on http://eufunds.gov.mt/opencalls (PPCD section). Supporting documentation including the eligibility guidance notes, the detailed guidance notes and indicators guidance notes relating to this announcement are also available on http://eufunds.gov.mt/opencalls (PPCD section). Prospective applicants are encouraged to refer to Operational Programme I and the eligibility guidance notes in order to check whether their proposals are eligible for funding through this call for project proposals. Further information on this call and on the European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 may be obtained from http://eufunds.gov.mt. Any generic queries and requests to participate in Information Sessions related to this Call can be sent to PPCD's email: info.eufunds@gov.mt. Operational Programme I - European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 "Fostering a competitive and sustainable economy to meet our challenges" Call part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund Co-financing rate: 80% European Union; 20% National Funds JAMES DEBONO IF you can't build according to present rules, change the goal- posts. This looks like the logic be- hind a mysterious planning application aimed at changing the one certainty of the mas- sive extension of development boundaries in 2006. For in an unprecedented move, developer Charles Camilleri's CA&S Limited, wants to actually add yet an- other 13,865sq.m of agricultur- al land in Zabbar to the fixed development boundaries. The application has not yet been 'validated' by the Plan- ning Authority. But the move would result in nothing less than a portion of land equivalent to two football grounds, located along Labour Avenue in Zabbar, being added to the extended development zones. The agriculture land is being proposed for residential devel- opment in the vicinity of James Garage and Lourdes Service Station, part of a large stretch of agricultural land between Triq il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa and Labour Avenue. The request is called a plan- ning control application, which proposes the inclusion of the site "in the development scheme" by changing the zon- ing of the area that is presently outside development bounda- ries. The application was present- ed by Jodie Camilleri on behalf of CA&S Limited, one of whose owners is developer Charles Camilleri, known as 'Tal-Fran- ciz': he is currently involved in the company seeking a green light for a 13-storey develop- ment on the site of the former Jerma Hotel in Marsaskala. The site has multiple owners as the applicant declared he does not own the site in full. Since the site is presently outside development zones (ODZ), no development except that foreseen in the 2014 rural policy rules can be allowed. But the application is unprec- edented because it proposes, for the first time since the revision of the development boundaries in 2006, that an ex- tensive pocket of ODZ land is scheduled for residential devel- opment. In this case the extension is being proposed through an ap- plication by a private develop- er, and not by the government or the Planning Authority as Developers want Zabbar fields included in development zones JAMES DEBONO 12 years after the approval of new development boundaries the Planning Authority is still assess- ing applications by private devel- opers to set zoning rules for 23 different pockets of land included in development boundaries in 2006. These different sites to- gether occupy a land area of ap- proximately 156,000sq.m, which is equivalent to the size of 22 football pitches. 15 of these ap- plications were presented in the past two years. Although all of these areas were included in the controversial ex- tension of development bounda- ries carried out in 2006, develop- ers still have to present a Planning Control Application to set plan- ning parameters like building Unfinished business • Over 156,000sq.m of 'rationalisation' land yet to be developed • The Planning Authority is still assessing development the size of 22 football grounds on land included in development boundaries in 2006 Rationalisation site along Triq it-Tari in Swieqi overlooking Wied Ghomor which is now being proposed for new dwellings