Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/561386
WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION WEDNESDAY • 26 AUGUST 2015 • ISSUE 430 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY €1.00 EDITORIAL PAGE 10 IL VOLO LIVE IN CONCERT Sat 29th August 2015 at 21:00 Ta' Qali - MFCC - MALTA IL VOLO 6X3 Malta.pdf 1 08/07/15 15:13 Booking ticket www.ticketline.com.mt | hotline 77555009 | info@ticketline.com.mt or from these outlets MFCC | THE POINT - SLIEMA | EMBASSY - VALLETA | HAIR LOUNGE - ST. JULIAN'S GRACE BABY CLOTHES PORTOMASO - ST. JULIAN'S, PLAZA - SLIEMA | HILTON MALTA - ST. JULIAN'S culture entertaiment business C organised by: sponzored by: S I N C E 1 9 2 9 Newspaper post JAMES DEBONO FANCY applying to develop other people's land, without their consent? You may soon be able to. According to the proposed planning law, one will no longer require the consent of the owner of a property to develop it. All that is needed is simply to inform the owner by registered letter. If approved as it is, the new plan- ning law resurrects the prospect of people applying for develop- ment on other people's property without seeking their consent. Moreover, the new law piloted by planning parliamentary secre- tary Michael Falzon, would also allow people to apply on public land without seeking the consent of the government. This effectively turns the clock back to the pre-2010 era where developers could apply on other people's property. The present law clearly states that any applicant for develop- ment permission must certify to the Authority that: the applicant is the owner of the site or that he has notified the owner of his in- tention to apply by registered let- ter of which a copy has been re- ceived by the Authority, and that the owner has granted his consent to such a proposal, or that the ap- plicant is authorised to carry out such proposed development un- der any other law or through an agreement with the owner. Moreover the present law also states that if the applicant is not the owner of the site, but holds the site under a title of lease he or she must notify the government of his inten- tion to apply by registered letter of which the Authority has received a copy. The proposed law simply states that an ap- plicant for a development permission must certify to the Planning Board that he is the owner of the site or that he has notified the owner of his intention to apply, by means of a registered letter, a notified copy of which is submitted with the application to the Planning Board in line with the procedures established by the Planning Board. The Malta Developers Asso- ciation, in submissions on the law made to the government, has objected to this major change, in- sisting that the obligation to seek the consent of owners must not be removed. Architect Simone Vella Lenick- er also described the change as an undesirable proposal. "The current system where- by the applicant must de- clare that he has obtained the owner's consent to submit an application for development permission has cut out a significant amount of abuse. This should be retained," she said. A Maltese man was arrested a few days ago in Labraq upon his arrival at the airport in eastern Libya MIRIAM DALLI A Maltese businessman was ar- rested in Libya upon his arrival at Labraq airport, the Maltese government has said, confirm- ing reports which appeared in the media. In a brief statement, the gov- ernment said it had been fol- lowing the case for a number of days, over what appears to be a visa dispute. The information it received came through different sources and confirms that the Maltese citizen was being kept under ar- rest. "The government is in continu- ous contact with the family of the individual," it said, adding that the man could have been arrested together with another person, who is "not necessarily Maltese". The government went on to say that the man had travelled to Libya despite advice issued against travelling to the North African country. "The government calls for cau- tion for a positive resolution of the case," it said. The Times of Malta said that the man was "caught up in the controversy between the coun- try's rival governments over the recognition of visas". Labraq airport is located near Al Bayda, the seat of the internationally recognised government PAGE 4 Planning permits can be granted without land owner's consent Maltese businessman arrested in Libya Planning parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon