Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1202928
23.01.2020 16 TOWNSCAPES PA reviewing supplementary guidance related to the Seveso II directive IN 2005, the Planning Authority had ap- proved a document which set out a plan- ning policy framework for implementing the land use planning objectives of the Seveso II Directive. e purpose of this policy document was to control development close to in- stallations which use or store hazardous substances, so as to reduce the number of people at risk and to reduce the like- lihood and the extent of harm if an acci- dent occurs. e Seveso II Directive has been subse- quently replaced by Seveso III Directive (EU Council Directive 2012/18/EC). As a result, the Planning Authority is obliged to carry out a review of the 2005 Supplementary Planning Policy Guid- ance on Major Accident Hazards and Hazardous Substances. For this reason, the Authority is pub- lishing the objective for public consulta- tion: • To transpose and implement Arti- cle 13 of the Seveso III Directive. e public is being invited to submit and comments on the objective. Rep- resentations are to be made in writing and sent through e-mail address: seve- so@pa.org.mt Submissions are to reach the Authority by 3 February 2020. THE Executive Council of the Planning Authority has approved the setting up of a fifth directorate within its structure to provide a distinct and clearer focus between strategic forward planning and de- velopment permitting. Over the years, these two sepa- rate functions were incorporated into one single directorate. Martin Saliba, the new chairperson of the PA's Executive Council said "the setting up of the new Development Management Directorate will now make it possible for the Planning Directorate to refocus its core com- petences and get better equipped to focus on policy formulation and forward-planning issues. We need to ensure that the spirit of SPED is effectively reflected in all the plans and policies by which planning ap- plications get assessed and decided upon." is change is also in line with the provisions set out in the Develop- ment Planning Act (2016) which had introduced the function of the Executive Council whose purpose it became to administer the PA and decide on planning policies. In this way, the Planning Board was di- vested of this responsibility, ensure that the Board's decisions would be autonomous and fair. e PA now has five directorates namely: Development Manage- ment Directorate, Planning Direc- torate, ICT, Mapping and Digital Services Directorate, Enforcement and Compliance Directorate and Corporate Services Directorate. PA gets a fifth directorate The purpose of this policy document was to control development close to installations which use or store hazardous substances, so as to reduce the number of people at risk and to reduce the likelihood and the extent of harm if an accident occurs