Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/849592
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 16 JULY 2017 3 News CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The 388 permits issued dur- ing the electoral campaign rep- resent a sharp rise from the 189 regularisation permits issued in the five weeks between 29 March and 3 May. 211 permits were is- sued between 22 February and 22 March and only 140 permits were issued between 18 January and 15 February while 114 permits were issued between 7 December and 11 January. Just 12 permits were issued between 2 November and 30 November. The highest number of permits for regularisation was pub- lished on the government gazette edition of 6 June which refers to 127 per- mits issued in the pre- vious week, which co- incided with the final days of the campaign. While an average of 33 permits were is- sued each week in the period between 7 December and 3 May, an average of 77 permits were issued in the pe- riod between 10 May and 6 June. An average of 65 permits was issued each week in the month after the election. The regu- l a r i s a t i o n s c h e m e , w h i c h c a m e into ef- fect in August 2016, excludes the regu- larisation of ODZ developments but includes illegalities carried out within the development zone – in- cluding urban conservation areas – carried out before 2016. Although anyone regularising an illegality will have to pay a hefty fine, which can rise up to €7,600 for a 175 square metre illegal pent- house, the scheme, unlike previ- ous exemptions from pending enforcement orders introduced before 2013, will enable owners to sell such properties. The 'amnesty' is not automatic because a board assesses applications for regulari- sation. The Planning Authority is legally obliged to refund 90% of the fees incurred by applicants whose ap- plications to regularise illegalities are rejected, and is under no legal obligation to ask these owners, through an enforcement notice, to remove these illegalities. Most illegalities sanctioned con- sist of minor irregularities like internal yards build not accord- ing to sanitary regulations, lack of respect for street alignment and minor deviations from approved plans. But among the illegalities sanc- tioned in the election period in- clude an entire maisonette con- structed illegally in Swieqi, a residential unit constructed in- stead of a garage in Mellieha, an apartment constructed instead of a washroom in Saint Paul's Bay, en eight floor penthouse in Gzira, which was build illegally, the com- bination of two flats in to a mai- sonette in Ghajnsielem, the first and second floors of a dwelling in Siggiewi, the subdivision of various apartments in to different flats. Revved up machine Last week, MaltaToday revealed that more permits were issued in the five weeks' long election cam- paign of 2017 than in nine weeks of the 2013 electoral campaign, a MaltaToday analysis has conclud- ed. The power of incumbency was well employed by the Labour ad- ministration this year, with an av- erage of 38 permits a day – week- ends included – issued during the last general election campaign compared to just five during the 2013 campaign, and 24 in the 2008 general election campaign, when the PN was re-elected by just 1,500 votes. Additionally, an average of nearly five permits outside development zones (ODZ) were issued every day in this year's campaign, compared to three ODZ permits per day in 2008 and less than one ODZ per- mit per day in 2013 – possibly the result of Lawrence Gonzi's 'ODZ is ODZ' policy employed after his 2008 election win. A total of 364 permits, 46 of them ODZ, were issued in the last week of the 2017 electoral campaign. Only 60 permits were issued in the final ninth week in 2013 while 228 were issued in 2008. Significantly, the number of per- mits granted in the 2017 campaign increased from 168 in the first week of the campaign, to a record 364 in the final week. No such change was seen in 2013 when the number of permits issued in the first week of the campaign stood at 71, only to drop to 60 in the final ninth week. Additionally, in the two weeks prior to the general election, the planning board that dispenses per- mits on a day-to-day basis would meet everyday instead of three days a week as per custom. That means there were four extra board meetings in those two weeks. Certain applicants were also no- tified that board meetings to be held after the election, would be brought back to before the elec- tion date so that a decision is taken before voters cast their ballots. In total 1,247 permits were is- sued in the five weeks of the 2017 campaign, compared to 789 in the 2008 campaign, which had a similar duration. Only 321 permits were issued in the nine weeks-long 2013 campaign. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Regularisation of illegalities went into overdrive during election campaign 5 week periods Number of illegalities sanctioned 7 Dec-14 Dec 114 18 Jan-15 Feb 140 22 Feb-22 March 211 29 March-3 May 189 10 May-6 June 388 PAUL COCKS HEALTH Minister Chris Fearne has been elected deputy leader of the Labour Party for parliamen- tary affairs after beating Finance Minister Edward Scicluna in a second round of voting yesterday. Fearne will also take up the mantle of Deputy Prime Minis- ter under Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The two ministers faced off in yesterday's round of voting af- ter a first round on Friday saw a third contestant for the post, Equality Minister Helena Dalli, eliminated after none of the three obtained an absolute majority of votes cast. Fearne obtained 367 (51%) of the votes, with Scicluna coming in at 348 (48.5)%. 715 Labour Party delegates vot- ed in yesterday's poll. In the first round, Fearne ob- tained 296 votes, followed by Sci- cluna with 249 and Dalli at 199. With all three ministers having performed well in the last legis- lature and in the recent election, there was no clear-cut favourite to win, although many party in- siders had pointed to Dalli as be- ing the favourite. "Helena Dalli has a great deal to contribute as Europe and Equal- ity minister. Good luck to Chris Fearne and Edward Scicluna for tomorrow," tweeted Prime Min- ister Joseph Muscat after Friday's result was announced. The party 's extraordinary gen- eral conference kicked off on Thursday. In addition to the election for deputy leader for parliamentary affairs, the party's delegates were also required to reconfirm leader Joseph Muscat and deputy leader for party affairs Chris Cardona in their respective votes. Only seven of the delegates cast their vote against the leader, with the remaining 738 voting in fa- vour. Cardona was also reconfirmed, having won the approval of 639 votes or 88% of the party's del- egates. Chris Fearne elected Labour deputy leader 22 March and only lished on the government gazette edition of 6 June which refers to 127 per- mits issued in the pre- vious week, which co- incided with the final days of the campaign. While an average of 33 permits were is- sued each week in the period between 7 December and 3 May, an average of 77 permits were issued in the pe- riod between 10 May and 6 June. An average of 65 permits was issued each week in the month after the election. The regu- l a r i s a t i o n s c h e m e , w h i c h c a m e into ef- fect in August 2016, excludes the regu- larisation of ODZ developments but includes illegalities carried out within the development zone – in- Prime Minister Joseph Muscat with Edward Scicluna (left) and Chris Fearne (right)