Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1484063
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 NOVEMBER 2022 COMMERCIAL 12 GOVERNMENT has request- ed the Planning Authority (PA) to propose amendments to the Regularisation of Existing De- velopment Regulations. These proposals include developments that fall within a Category 1 Rural Settlement, and pre-2016 properties which have their site perimeter partially beyond the development boundaries but covered with an existing per- mit. The Regularisation of Existing Development Regulations were introduced in August 2016 and give property owners with un- sanctionable, non-conformant, development located entirely within the development bound- aries, the opportunity to regu- larise their development. These regulations enable owners to be in a far better position to sell, or use their property as a guaran- tee for finance. The PA is proposing to amend the regulations so that existing, unsanctionable, non conform- ant developments which are sited entirely within a Category 1 Rural Settlement may also be considered for regularisation. Rural settlements were des- ignated in the 2006 through the local plans. These settle- ments, outside the development boundaries, were areas, where several old building permits for dwellings had been granted and that were near the main urban areas but separated by an unde- veloped gap. The draft amendments also in- clude properties which fall, par- tially, beyond the development boundaries. The regularisation shall on- ly apply to existing buildings whose site is already covered by a permit issued prior to 2016. Only non-sanctionable varia- tions from the existing permit shall be considered within the permitted site boundary. Sites where no form of devel- opment permission exists, shall not be eligible for regularisa- tion. The current regulations con- sider regularising past legally non conformant developments only if the building, or structure, does not result in any injury to amenity and if the use of the de- velopment is in conformity with current planning policies and regulations. Additionally, the existing ir- regular development cannot have a footprint which goes beyond what appears in the Authority's aerial photographs of 2016. Any extension, or ad- dition, beyond this footprint cannot be regularised. These prerequisites are set to remain untouched. The draft regulations also propose to regularise those de- velopments where an existing enforcement notice had been issued by the Authority prior to 2016. Since the introduction of these regulations in 2016, the Author- ity received over 19,500 applica- tions. Over the years, the Authority has used the monies generat- ed from these applications to finance schemes for the regen- eration of our town and vil- lages, namely the Irrestawra Darek Grant Scheme, Irrestaw- ra l-Faċċata, Irrestawra l-Każin and the Traditional Wood- en Balcony Restoration Grant Scheme. Some of the monies are also used for urban improve- ment projects proposed by local councils, or NGOs, through the Development Planning Fund. The full draft amendments may be viewed on the PA's web- site https://www.pa.org.mt/ consultation The Planning Authority invites the public to submit representa- tions to the proposed amend- ments regarding the Regulari- Proposals to marginally widen non- conformity development regulations