Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/404410
44 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014 Opinion A 2013 planning application seek- ing the approval for the extension of a basement underlying a dwelling in Nadur, was sanctioned after being turned down by MEPA's Environ- ment and Planning Commission, which held that extension projects outside the limits of the development boundary towards a ridge edge were not allowed. Reference was made to Structure Plan Policy SET 11 which prima facie prohibits any form of urban development outside existing and committed built-up areas. Even more so, the Planning Commission felt that there are no apparent reasons from a planning point of view as to why the proposed development cannot be located in an area designated for development or in an existing built up area. On a different note, the commission maintained that the washrooms at roof level (as proposed) are excessive in scale, thus in violation of policy 2.7 of the Development Control Policy & Design Guidance 2007 which states that in the case of locations close to ridges, washrooms at roof level are required to be set back by a minimum three metres from the rear boundary wall. In reaction, the applicant lodged an appeal before the Environment and Planning Tribunal. In his submissions, the applicant noted inter alia that the MEPA had approved similar developments in the immediate vicinity. In addition, the applicant emphasised that the proposed built footprint would not extend beyond the adjacent party wall. For its part, the authority reiterated its previous stance, insisting once again that Structure Plan policies SET 11 and SET 12 prohibit any form of urban development (in this case an extended basement) outside the development zone. Moreover, the case officer observed that the proposed washrooms were not set back at least three metres as required by Local Plan Policies GZ-EDGE-1 and GZ-EDGE-2. (The "edge" policies must be read in conjunction with Policy 2.7 of DC2007 which in turn provides that the height limitation on a ridge- edge site is of two floors and every floor should be consecutively set back by three metres from the back elevation. In assessing the appeal, the tribunal observed that notwithstanding the authority's objections, the MEPA had approved several buildings featuring more or less similar building depths extending beyond the official scheme boundary. More so, the tribunal observed that a similar request was entertained in 2013 on the pretext that "the depth of the development on site should also be considered in relation to the adjoining commitments". Faced by this scenario, the tribunal concluded that the authority acted unjustly in refusing the application, the more so since it issued a similar permit in view of the adjoining commitment. Against this background, the tribunal ordered the authority to issue the permit on condition that the proposed washrooms are adequately receded as required by "edge" policies. Robert Musumeci is an architect who also pursued a degree in law robert@rmperiti.com Tribunal concluded that the authority issued a similar permit in view of adjoining commitment Robert Musumeci MEPAwatch Tribunal insists on "consistency" in decisions Polidano group of companies achieves prestigious environmental standards certification IT may seem strange, but the Poli- dano Group of companies is the only major construction company in Malta to hold the ISO14001 En- vironmental management system certification. The reputable British based BSI is certified to issue such certifi- cates based on a rigorous process which is far from straightforward. BSI operates across numerous countries and issues certification in Australia, the Middle East and the US. BSI Group, also known in its home market as the British Stand- ards Institution (or BSI), is a mul- tinational business services pro- vider whose principal activity is the production of standards and the supply of standards-related services. Polidano Group of Companies was started in 1987 and today represents one of the biggest con- struction companies. Unexpected- ly in spite of its success story it also experiences periodical bad public- ity. This environmental certifica- tion should serve as a good omen for the company. The man who was entrusted to ensure that the high certification protocol is adhered to, is Colin Rushmere. He is the external re- sources manager for Environmen- tal Management systems at BSI. "The whole scope of this proto- col is primarily to reduce the en- vironmental impact and more im- portantly to review and improve administration processes. It is also about making things more cost- effective for the company itself." Rushmere explained that consid- eration when following the qual- ity issues in this certification are noise, air, water and ground. "Any process to mitigate the ef- fects of an operation on these four matters are important," he said. He explained that in the UK, some companies are mandated to have the IS14001. Polidano's deci- sion is completely voluntary. Rushmere is here to ensure that the ISO14001 certification attained in 2013 is still valid for 2014. Asked about the advantages of the certification, he said compa- nies which had 1S014001 certi- fication and are working in the tendering process field within EU procurement protocols, would benefit from similar processes. "Enemalta made use of Polidano's certification," he quips. Asked how they monitored a company's actual standing in at- taining or achieving certification, Rushmere said that he was here to carry on-site inspections. He said that there was also a rigorous process of keeping records. "Certification is attained by means of internal audits and site visits." He confirmed that Polidano was the first Maltese construction company to have acquired this certification. Rushmere described how Polid- ano had implemented a process to recycle water and recycle materi- als for industrial processes. He revealed that adapting to the high standards was not easy but Polidano rose to the occasion. "You can see that people adapt here," he said. The certification requires that Polidano trains its management and staff, and he admits that it was difficult in the beginning but it worked out fine in the end. "I think," he said, "that chang- ing a blame attitude helps to make people more responsible." It all starts, he emphasised, by getting employees to draw atten- tion to what needs that, rather than simply walk by. Polidano has in fact awarded em- ployees who come up with propos- als that make sense for business and the environment. He recounted how Polidano had collected copper from waste the company had generated. The xported copper was eventually used to produce a stnning workj of art by local artist Chris Ebejer. The majestic fountain now adorns the entrance to Montekristo Es- tate. "In this business, recycling is a crucial approach, more so when there is so much waste produced." Colin Rushmere lists the proto- col for issuing a certification. "There are bi-monthly reports, scheduled internal audits and maintaining the system. A com- pany does not get certification by paying for it, it has to earn it." Polidano is a leader in marine dredging Colin Rushmere