'Froġa': Joseph Muscat slams government's handling of controversial planning reforms

Former prime minister Joseph Muscat has described government’s handling of its proposed planning reforms as “a complete mess” (froġa).

The proposed reforms came in the middle of summer and will make it harder for building permits to be overturned on appeal and also give the minister new powers to introduce regulations that establish the “procedures, criteria, and conditions under which existing illegal developments or structures may be assessed, regulated, or otherwise addressed” by the PA.

The proposed changes grant more discretionary power to planning boards to deviate from policies; limit the court’s ability to revoke permits; and limit appeals to the grounds stated in objections filed before a project is approved.

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In a lengthy Facebook post on Saturday, Joseph Muscat went through a number of claims being made about the planned changes.

He noted that it’s true that the reforms grant the Planning Authority (PA) and planning minister discretion to ignore existing policies, change height limitations, and regularise illegal developments. Muscat said that “this is already the case” through partial Local Plan reviews.

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The former prime minister also said that the planning minister should not have the power to renew expired permits, unless extraordinary circumstances arise, citing the pandemic.

On the fact that the proposed bills will strip the courts to revoke illegal permits, Muscat stated that “The PA cannot be a court, and the courts cannot become the PA.”