Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1213458
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 FEBRUARY 2020 NEWS Malta International Airport plc Head Office Malta International Airport 2nd Floor , Luqa LQA 4000 Tel:+35621249600 Fax:+35621249563 Email: retailtender@maltairport.com (RP/01/20) EXPRESSION OF INTEREST For the supply and management of Snack & Beverage Vending Machines situated around the Malta International Airport campus Malta International Airport plc. invites interested parties to express their interest for the supply and management of snack & beverage vending machines around the airport campus. Submission forms and the terms and conditions may be downloaded from the tender section of the Malta International Airport plc. website www.maltairport.com Forms with all relevant documentation must be submitted at the MIA Head Oce, 2nd Floor, Luqa, by no later than Friday 20th March 2020. Submissions received after this date will not be considered eligible. JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority will allow developers of projects on land they do not own, to present "agreements" signed with land- owners without having to seek their express consent at the time of application. This means that agreements such as a 'promise of sale' or lease contract that foresees the pro- posed development, can be used to indicate a developer's green light from the owner of the land. Before these new rules, even in cases where developers have en- tered an agreement with owners, they still had to notify the owners of their intentions by a registered letter of which a copy had to be presented and to declare that the owner had granted consent to the proposed development. But sources who spoke to Mal- taToday think problems could result in these latest changes, if owners have reservations on as- pects of the development which depart from the original agree- ment. "One of the advantages of the current application form is that it prevents litigation because it obliges developers to inform and seek consent to the plans as pre- sented," an architect told Malt- aToday. "It is also gives the gov- ernment a greater say on plans when applications are presented on public land leased to private interests", he added. Even more problematic will be cases in which the owners them- selves challenge the legality of such agreements. One such case is the St Julian's Carmelite mon- astery car park in which a private agreement signed between the former prior and his brother, a developer, is being challenged by the Maltese archbishop. Although the legality of the agreement is still being chal- lenged by both the Carmelite Order and the Archdiocese, the Planning Authority still issued the permit. But the case is now subject to an appeal in which both the archbishop and the Order contend that they never issued their consent to the devel- opment as required by law. The change in the way appli- cation forms are to be filled was enacted through a circular to ar- chitects issued by the Planning Authority. According to the Au- thority this is being done to "bet- ter reflect" the law. Originally the first draft of the new planning law approved in 2016 removed the need to seek consent of the owners. But fol- lowing criticism in the media, the need for consent was retained in the new law, albeit with the pro- vision that the applicant can ap- ply on other people's property if "s/he is authorised to carry out such proposed development un- der any other law or through an agreement with the owner". Developers don't need 'consent' with lease agreement in hand New rules make it easier for developers with lease agreements to file applications without requesting owners' consent JAMES DEBONO CATERING plans have been included for a recently-built fuel service station – outside development zones in Burmar- rad – when no such plans were envisioned back in 2017. The McQueen fuel station, which faces the Kiabi store in Burmarrad, has requested a permit for a full-blown food and drinks establishment, where cooking is allowed. In 2017, the applicants had no such catering establishment included in their plans. But in 2018, the Planning Authority approved a 58sq.m snack bar – where no cooking is allowed – on part of the land originally allocated for a car accessories shop. Now the owners want a change-of-use permit to allow cooking on site. A revised policy for the con- troversial fuel stations rules, which allows the construction of mega fuel stations on coun- tryside motorways and sites outside development zones, has not yet been approved by the government. Approval would instantly ban catering or retail establishments on such sites: the only addition- al structures allowable would be ATMs, vending machines and vehicle maintenance services. The present 2015 policy is more vague, allowing ancillary structures which "comple- ment" fuel stations. Indeed another petrol station in Luqa belonging to the Bi- lom group was recently grant- ed a permit to erect a 110sq.m snack bar where no cooking is allowed. The petrol station was originally approved in 2018 on 3,000sq.m of agricultural land along Qormi Road, next to the Water Services Corporation. The case officer had object- ed to the proposal, insisting that "while the present policy allows facilities which comple- ment fuel stations in terms of economic sustainability, such a use is not considered as ac- ceptable." But the PA's planning com- mission chaired by Elizabeth Ellul overruled the case of- ficer, noting that it had al- ready issued a similar permit for a snack bar in ODZ pet- rol stations in Burmarrad and Zejtun. The case officers had objected to both permits. The commission also took into consideration the fact the fu- el station includes a charging station for electric vehicles. Ahead of policy ban, fuel station requests permit for restaurant The McQueen fuel station in Burmarrad