Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1047665
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 NOVEMBER 2018 NEWS CONSULTATION MEETING WITH - OWNERS OF PHARMACIES - CONFECTIONERY SHOP OWNERS A simplification exercise is currently underway to reduce the administrative burden when it comes to the inspection of businesses. Business inspections will now be reduced to one inspection only. A consultation meeting will be held with OWNERS OF PHARMACIES On Tuesday 6 th November at 8.00pm and On Friday 9 th November at 1.30pm The meetings will be held at Business 1st, Cobalt House, 2 nd floor, Notabile Road, Imrieħel For more information or reservations call 144 CONFECTIONERY SHOP OWNERS T On Wednesday 14 th November at 1.30pm JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority has officially shelved a circular it had issued to land- owners seeking permits under the 2006 extension of Malta's building zones, giv- ing them just six months to request the parameters for their planning permits. The circular was issued in December 2012 and told owners of the land on which development could take place thanks to the 'rationalisation' exerciser of six years earlier, that they had just six months to set planning parameters. Since 2013, the owners of some 175 plots added to the development zones in 2006 have presented 34 planning control applications. The PA received 62 applications before 2013, and has now yet to process the parameters for what type of planning can take place on 79 sites. Before requesting a development permit, owners of the land added to the development zones must present a 'planning control application' to set the zoning, building heights and road net- work for each site. A spokesperson for the PA did not give any reason why this circular was shelved but confirmed "that there is no deadline until which owners can apply to set the parameters for rationalisation sites through PC applications". In December 2012, just before the start of the electoral campaign, the PA in- formed owners of rationalisation plots that they had till June 2013 to apply for a planning control permit. Failure to comply would not have resulted in the land being spared from development, or with the PA setting its own planning control process for the lands. Sources in the PA said the circular had been meant to kick-start construction activity at a time of a downturn in activ- ity: dwelling permits had shrunk from a record 11,343 in 2007 to just 3,064 in 2012. "It was also meant to discourage own- ers from hoarding the land while bring- ing closure to a controversial process which has dragged on since 2006," a PA source told MaltaToday. A MaltaToday probe published in Au- gust 2018 revealed that the Planning Authority is still assessing applications by private developers to set zoning rules for 23 different pockets of land included in development boundaries in 2006. Since than even more applications have been presented, including very controversial ones in Qrendi next to the Torri tal-Kaptan and in the Nigret area of Zurrieq. Zurrieq residents objecting to an ap- plication by developer Anton Camill- eri in the Nigret area are disputing the legality of the application, citing the 2012 circular. They have also asked the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage to assess the value of what residents describe as a "curious structure in the middle of a field" which could have served as a medieval dwelling or hut. The Planning Authority has also cat- egorically told MaltaToday it has no in- tention of accepting requests extend the development zones beyond the 2006 boundaries. "Planning Control applica- tions which propose extensions to the Development Zone cannot be consid- ered favourably," the PA spokesperson said. Only recently, the company CA&S Limited requested that some 14,000 square metres of agricultural land on Labour avenue in Zabbar be included in the development zones; a similar request for a 3,000sq.m field in Ghasri was also presented. Development in ODZ areas has been mainly restricted to a range of develop- ments permitted by the 2014 rural policy, which apart from developments related to agriculture also allows the redevelop- ment of ruins from older buildings. More infrequently, development can be allowed in so-called "infill sites" found between existing residential developments. But upon election in 2013, Labour embarked on a revision of the 2006 lo- cal plans, attracting 7,000 submissions from the public which however was left uncompleted. The former parliamenta- ry secretary for planning, Michael Fal- zon, had justified tweaking the bounda- ries by accusing the former government of being "creative" in including certain lands, but not others. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had al- so toyed with the idea of compensating for the additions to the building zones, by taking away land presently located in development zones. But PA sources said the government was having cold feet as the process could leave certain landowners out. And with the environment rising in public opinion concerns, the govern- ment may be wary of further contro- versy. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt PA shelves six-month deadline for applications on rationalisation zones The Nigret area in Zurrieq