[WATCH] Planning Authority to fine itself €500 a day for permit delays

The Planning Authority will be fining itself €500 every day if permits for major projects are not issued within 100 days

Planning Authority CEO Johann Buttigieg and chairman Vince Cassar
Planning Authority CEO Johann Buttigieg and chairman Vince Cassar
Planning Authority explains fast-track system • Video by Raphael Farrugia

If permits for major projects are not issued within the stipulated 100 days, the Planning Authority will be fining itself €500 every day, the Planning Authority said today in a media briefing.

The Planning Authority explained that the amount refunded to developers will be capped to half the planning application fee.

Moreover the Planning Authority has abolished screening for normal applications, reintroduced controversial outline permits and introduced a summery procedure for applications of up to 16 apartment blocks.

PA CEO Johann Buttigieg claimed that the aim of new procedures was both to tighten the timeframe for application of new permits but also to increase public scrutiny of these applications.

In reality, consultation periods have been reduced from three weeks to two weeks, in a large number of cases involving development of up to 16 apartments within development Zones.

But consultation will increase in cases involving development notification orders: applications for minor developments like air-conditioning units are presently approved without any form of consultation.

Additionally, applicants for normal developments will no longer be informed by the PA whether their applications conform to planning policies. This used to be done through a screening letter issued before the application is made public by the PA.

Screening will only take place for major applications. Major projects are those which require an environment impact assessment and occupy more than 5000 square meters.

Presently all applications are submitted to screening.

Applicants can once again apply for a preliminary outline permit (where application is approved in principle) before applying for a full permit. This procedure was removed in the 2010 reform.

Outline permits create a commitment on the PA to approve an application.

One controversial outline permit was that issued in 2009 for the 12-storey Mistra development. When the full permit was issued in 2013, the government claimed that the PA was bound to issue the full permit due to the outline permit issued previously.

Buttigieg however told the media that reserved matters will be more defined in the new system to prevent discrepancies between outline and full permit. Full permits have to be issued within a year.

Normal application will be processed in 100 days, whilst those processed under new summery procedures should be done in just 42 days.

The procedure applies to applications within development zones of up to 16 apartments. Even swimming pools in ODZ land are covered by the summery procedure No case officer reports will be done but the directorate will be making its recommendations for or against approval. Decisions will be taken by the chairperson of the environment planning commission, Elisabeth Ellul.  

Buttigieg insisted that the applications would still be assessed by the Planning Directorate. The summery procedure will also apply to minor applications presently applied approved by the development notification system which are presently approved without any public consultation.

Public consultation has been reduced from three to two weeks for thousands of planning applications.

If the authority fails to approve the applications within 42 days, the PA will have to refund up to half of the costs of an application. In the case of major projects which have to be approved in 100 days, the refund will amount to a daily €500. For smaller applications, the fine will be of €25 a day.