MDA welcomes planning amnesty, but calls on PA ‘to avoid new anomalies’

Following a legal notice which foresees the regularisation of illegalities against the payment of a fee, the Malta Developers Association (MDA) has agreed with the amnesty due to its consequences on property owners.

The MDA said that it agreed in principle with the planning amnesty because there are a substantial number of property owners, including families, who have several irregularities which could never be sanctioned. “These remained on paper for a number of years to the detriment of owners who want to sell their property. An amnesty like this announced is the only remedy for this type of problem,” the MDA said in a statement.

However, despite the fact that it agreed with the principle of the amnesty, the MDA emphasised that the Planning Authority should take into consideration the impact on the existing surroundings to avoid new anomalies.

The MDA also appealed to all its members to voluntarily refund the fees incurred by the current owners of property with these irregularities which they sold that were time-barred. “Members of the MDA should be responsible and come forward to refund them voluntarily the fees that these current owners have to pay to become ‘in regola’.”

"From today onwards, the authorities should increase the penalties being imposed on whoever abuses and breaks the law," the MDA said.

The legal notice applies to any illegality which appears on aerial photos taken by the PA in 2016, and came into effect on Monday. It excludes the regularisation of ODZ development, but includes illegalities carried out within the development zone – including urban conservation areas – between 2013 and 2016. It is not limited to dwellings with minor irregularities but applies to a wide range of illegal developments, including boathouses, livestock buildings in urban areas, sports facilities, garages, car parks and even film sets.

Applications for regularisation will still be assessed by a board, so the amnesty is not given automatically.

According to parliamentary secretary Deborah Schembri, who announced the planning amnesty, the new scheme will address social problems faced by separated persons and people suffering from illnesses.