Enforcement panel to be formed within Planning Authority

An enforcement panel which looks to reduce the waiting time for breached permit hearings, will be formed within the Planning Authority.

The enforcement panel will be working in parallel with the Environmental and Planning Revision Tribunal, sister newspaper Illum revealed.

The enforcement wing within the PA covers cases which involve a lot of evidence analysis, requiring a number of sittings to analyze the different cases.

With the tribunal overseeing various sectors beyond enforcement itself, sittings were being postponed in order to accommodate permit hearings.

With the formation of a new panel which specifically covers permit hearings, sittings can be carried out more frequently, while also preventing illegalities from continuing.

Environment minister Aaron Farrugia said that this will be one of the changes carried out in an effort to strengthen and improve the efficiency by which the PA’s enforcement wing works.

“It’s not acceptable to have a planning authority which is not allowed to work with efficiency,” he said.

The environment minister said that the planning sector is very important for the country, and requires proper enforcement.

“The PA and the enforcement board have to function efficiently, and with this new panel enforcement will be strengthened and given its due importance,” Farrugia said.