Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1513064
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 13 DECEMBER 2023 NEWS NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt www.pa.org.mt PLANNING AUTHORITY The successful candidate will be assessing and processing planning applications and preparing policies, reports and plans. Successful candidates must be in possession of the following:- Qualificati ons and E xperienc e First degree in planning or in a discipline related to planning or to one of the Development Management/Planning Directorate's specialised areas of work or qualified as an architect & civil engineer with at least some land use planning experience. S kills Skills in research and information analysis, communication and interpersonal skills, creative skills in identifying solutions to planning issues. Time management, quality control and monitoring. Report Writing Skills including ability to deal with pressure and act with tact and firmness in challenging situations. Proficient use of ACAD. Candidates are to present scanned copies of all qualifications with their application together with proof of local equivalence issued by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA), for any qualification(s) which are not awarded by University of Malta or MCAST. Candidates who are in possession of qualification(s) in a language other than English, are to present a translated copy of their qualification(s) in English. All certificates, the proof of local equivalence, the completed Declarations by Candidate, which can be downloaded from https:// www.pa.org.mt/en/ vacancies, and the Jobsplus Employment History, which can be downloaded from https://jobsplus.gov.mt/, are to be presented with the application, by the closing date for submissions. Candidates who are 3rd country nationals, are to have a valid working permit by the closing date for submissions of the call, which permit is to be presented with their application. The position carries a starting annual salary and allowances of €25,556, a performance bonus and other benefits. The above post is for an indefinite period. Interested candidates are advised to submit their application, by sending an application via email on jobapplications@pa.org.mt together with a detailed curriculum vitae in pdf format by not later than 3 rd Januar y 2024 to: The Human Resources Manager Planning Authority Ref: Assistant Planning Offic er Jobsplus Permit No. 481/2020 Further information is available on our website: www.pa.org.mt/en/ vacancies JOIN OUR TEAM ASSISTANT PLANNING OFFICER CAREER OPPORTUNITY TWO brand new villas with pools are being proposed in- stead of farm buildings out- side the development zone along a rural alley between Żurriq and Birżebbuġa. The application was pre- sented by Justine Pergola, the great granddaughter of Mar- quis Giuseppe Scicluna and present owner of Palazzo Pa- risio in Naxxar. The project is being pro- posed on a 4,250sq.m site in an area known as Ta' Rikka. According to plans submit- ted by project architect Edwin Mintoff, 3,477sq.m of land will be retained as agricultur- al land. Both villas will have separate entrances which will require the paving of 278sq.m of land. The application foresees the excavation of a basement lev- el and a reservoir as well as the removal of some trees and the addition of others. The height of the villas is being limited to one storey. The rural policy approved in 2014 permits the redevel- opment of existing structures into villas if the original resi- dential use of the buildings is confirmed. The controversial policy was set to be replaced by a stricter policy issued for public con- sultation in 2020, but which was never approved. In the meantime, the PA has contin- ued applying the same policy to approve new countryside villas. Two ODZ villas with pools proposed in Zurrieq rural alley A couple from Santa Venera has been fined €6,000 after they were found guilty of offering pet sit- ting services without the proper licence. The case dates back to 2018, when officers from the Ħamrun police station received a report that a house in Santa Venera was keeping dogs without the neces- sary permits. The person behind the report had flagged that the dogs were being kept in unsanitary condi- tions and were barking loudly. On 29 December 2018, the po- lice and animal welfare officials had carried out a random in- spection, and had found 13 dogs which were found in clean con- ditions. The owners of the residence, Keith Caruana and Lara Bezzina, were asked to provide the neces- sary permits, but claimed there was no need for a permit because this activity was not regulated by law. They were charged with oper- ating kennels without a licence, and without applying for the nec- essary permits from the authori- ties. They were also charged with causing an inconvenience to their neighbours. On the 26 January, they were found guilty of the first two charg- es, but were not found guilty of causing an inconvenience. They were fined €6,000. They appealed the sentence, but Judge Aaron Bugeja turned down the appeal on Tuesday. He remarked that the prosecu- tion had presented a number of screenshots to prove that people were satisfied with the service. Bugeja remarked that evidence showed dog sitting was Bezzi- na's employment, and six of the 13 dogs found on the day of the inspection were owned by the couple. The fine was confirmed by the judge, who remarked that it was already the minimum sum re- quired by law. Fine for couple who offered dog- sitting services without licence confirmed by court