Planning Authority insists amended billboard regulations 'an improved version' of previous legal notice

The Planning Authority has come out in defence of new regulations on billboards and advertisements insisting that it has provided “an improved version” of the previous legal notice, taking into consideration instances where due to lacunae in the law billboard operators were managing to bypass the said regulations unhindered.

It was reacting to a press statement issued earlier in the day by the GRTU which condemned the “clandestine move” by which the new legal notice came into force.

“Much of what the GRTU is pinpointing as ‘new’ has in fact been the law for a good score of years,” the Planning Authority said.

A meeting was yesterday held between parliamentary secretary for planning Deborah Schembri and the association of billboard owners. These represent  more than 75% of billboard operators.

“It was agreed that the association would pass on its proposals regarding time frames within which its members would voluntarily remove all their illegal billboards,” the PA said.

Meetings were also held with the Chamber of Commerce which expressed itself in favour of the Legal Notice altough it also proposed suggestions which the Parliamentary Secertary said will also be considered.

“Unfortunately the GRTU has not asked to hold any meeting in this regard,” the authority noted. “If the GRTU truly represented the billboard operators it should take the necessary steps to control its members and ensure that the law is respected at all times.” 

 “The Planning Authority has no doubt that discussions can be held with the GRTU like they were already held with other entities at their request. What does not seem to be in discussion is the fact that this Legal Notice is indeed a positive one which has been well received by the general public. In certain instances billboard operators were placing billboards in front of other permitted billboards and many of the said billboards were an injury to amenity.” 

The Planning Authority said it could not understand how the, for instance, was shocked the law included shop signs of 0.5m “when this has been in the regulations since 1993”.

With regard to the fines these reflect the daily fines under the previous Legal Notice which were at a charge of up to a maximum of €50 daily.