Updated | Development application required for basements, backyard developments and swimming pools

Water cisterns and reservoirs, installation of LPG storage tanks, extensions to single-dwelling building, basements, backyard developments and swimming pools are among the developments that have been removed from the new Development Notification Order (DNO) and will thus require a development planning application.

The Planning Authority has launched, through the publication of a legal notice, the new DNO with a significantly downsized range and types of developments that will be exempt.

“The new Development Notification Order, which is categorised into 19 classes of permitted development, has retained those development types that are considered not to have an impact both on the site context and neighbouring residences,” the PA said.

The new DNO legal notice has retained internal alterations, installation of photovoltaic panels, widening of existing roads and more. Class 14 of the old DNO, for the reservation of public land for the placing of tables and chairs, was entirely removed.

“The approach adopted for this revision was to ‘do away with the practice’ that for certain works the public is not part of the planning process and had no right to an appeal,” the authority said.

Over the past years, the DNO legal notice has been revised on several occasions with the purpose of increasing the classes and types of works that were considered as permitted development. Permitted development meant that certain works could be carried out through a simple notification process or in many cases whereby no notification was required at all.

“While this process may have worked well for the applicant, it left the public and many residents without the right to even know, let alone object or appeal against such development works,” the planning watchdog argued.

Last month, the Authority introduced a new type of planning application which now sits along the familiar full development application and the DNO. This new planning application, which is known as the ‘Summary Procedures’ incorporates a number of development types which have been removed from the old DNO. This new procedure now ensures that a notice is affixed to a property where the intervention is proposed to be carried out and gives the public 15 days to submit a valid objection. A registered objector also has the right to make an appeal against a decision.

The Planning Authority will start to receive DNO requests in accordance with the new legal notice as of Monday. The public and interested parties may view the new DNO legal notice from the Authority’s website www.pa.org.mt.

The article was updated after it was erroneously reported that no development application was required for a number of developments. The changes to the legal notice mean that they will be removed from the new development notification order.