Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/792945
8 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 1 MARCH 2017 News IN ALL LEADING BOOK SHOPS HISTORY OF ORNITHOLOGY IN MALTA Muscat embarks on tour of six European capitals THE first stop of a whirlwind tour of six European capitals saw Prime Minister Joseph Muscat arrive in Stockholm yesterday, for discus- sions with his Swedish counter- part, Stefan Lofven. The two discussed the European Union's social agenda, the progress of the Maltese presidency of the Council of the EU, Brexit and ille- gal immigration. In a press conference at the end of their talks, Lofven praised the progress of Malta's EU presidency and said his country agreed with Malta's decision to focus on im- migration issues and its call for a more social Europe. Muscat bemoaned the fact that the EU remained divided on im- migration, but acknowledged that at least some small progress had been made. Earlier, Muscat had accompanied Lofven during a ceremony com- memorating former Swedish prime minister Olof Palme, who was as- sassinated in 1986. The prime minister will also be visiting Romania, Athens, Cyprus and Italy. After Sweden yesterday, Muscat met Czech Prime Minister Bo- huslav Sobotka in Prague where the two discussed the future of "social Europe" as Muscat noted the similarities between the two countries, including low rates of unemployment. On his part, Sobotka underlined Muscat's important role in the dis- cussions EU leaders had in Malta last month which led to an agree- ment on what the government statement described as "illegal im- migration." Highlighting the divergences be- tween member states on the relo- cation of asylum seekers, Sobotka called for a "European solution." This is the second such tour for Muscat, who had visited seven countries in four days in December before Malta took over the presi- dency of the EU Council. These visits will also pave the way for a two-day summit of the Euro- pean Council, to be held in Brus- sels on 9 and 10 March, where EU leaders are scheduled to continue discussing migration, security and the bloc's economy. They will also be electing a new president for the European Council, to replace Don- ald Tusk and to serve from June 2017 to November 2019. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (right) showing Prague to Joseph Muscat PHOTOGRAPHY BY: OMAR CAMILLERI, DOI Right of Reply: Planning Authority replies on rural policy IN reference to the article entitled 'Three ways new planning policies made Malta's countryside ripe for plunder' the Planning Authority pointed out the following: ODZ Development has been allowed under previous policies This article gives the impression that ODZ development is permit- ted since the implementation of the Rural Policy and Design Guid- ance (RPDG) in 2014. This is in- correct. Two of the three points mentioned in the article (1 – Buy a vernacular building and apply for an extension, and 3 – Buy an abandoned livestock farm) have been allowed prior to 2014 when the policy was adopted. Data shows that under new policy development ODZ is lower In reality, official data on per- missions for residential develop- ment granted ODZ show that the RPDG 2014 did not have any significant impact on the num- ber of dwellings permitted ODZ. The numbers were actually much higher in the past under the previ- ous policies. Not all development permitted in ODZ areas is unacceptable. Per- missions related to agriculture and recreation are in fact encouraged, and development which results in an improvement in the overall ap- pearance of the rural area subject to the necessary environmental safeguards may also be considered. In his first point in the said arti- cle, the author mentions buying a vernacular building and applying for an extension. In reality this has been possible since 1995 under the older policy. Section 8 of the "Development Control Guidance: Development Outside Built-Up Areas" adopted in 1995, better re- ferred to as PLP20, was dedicated to changes of use and extensions in rural areas which permitted the conversion and extension of build- ings of architectural or historic in- terest and worthy of retention. The third point in the same arti- cle which makes reference to buy- ing an abandoned livestock farm has also been allowed under the previous Policy 2.3D of the "Pol- icy and Design Guidance. Agri- culture, Farm Diversification and Stables" adopted in 2007. It dealt with the change of use or redevel- opment of disused or abandoned livestock farm buildings and al- lowed a residential dwelling. It is the RPDG 2014 policy that now specifies that such the farm has to be disused for at least ten years for it to be considered. 2016 Development Planning Act strengthened decision-making process The decision-making process on development applications is participatory, transparent and open for scrutiny by all. It has checks and balances in-built by legislation which have been strengthened by the 2016 Devel- opment Planning Act with fur- ther rights for appeal to third parties, NGOs and even other public entities. Each decision on each application is the result of the consideration by the Plan- ning Commission members who consider technical recommenda- tions and public opinion. All ap- plications have positive aspects and adverse impacts which need to be placed in the equation to enable a final decision. The Plan- ning Commission members are empowered to disagree with a negative recommendation by the technicians, as they do regulary, but they also have the authority to disagree with a positive rec- ommendation and members have never shied away from using this power. EDITORIAL NOTE: The de- velopment of villas in the coun- tryside is facilitated by the over riding policy which deems any pre-1978 building legal. Moreover even reference to long demolished buildings in survey sheets or aer- ial photos is deemed as evidence that such buildings are legal and thus can be rebuilt. Moreover new policies also facilitate the erection of boundary walls and makes it easier to redevelop/reconstruct an entire rural building. In fact a number of permits which were recommended for refusal under previous policies have been ap- proved since approval of new policy in 2014. MaltaToday has consistently reported planning abuses under the previous policy regimes which as pointed out by PA also contained loopholes for livestock farms and farmhouses.