The Planning Authority has revoked a permit for a concrete structure to house an ATM and ticket booth along the St Julian's promenade, a year after the planning ombudsman recommended that the authority do so. 

Neptunes Waterpolo and Swimming Club applied and were granted a fast-tracked permit to build the structure last year through a Development Notification Order (DNO). 

But during a post-decision review on Thursday, the Planning Board unanimously overturned the DNO, on the grounds that the ticket booth should have gone through a full development permit instead. 

The decision comes almost a year after the Commissioner for Environment and Planning, within the Office of the Ombudsman, recommended the PA to revoke the DNO. 

The Ombudsman said structures like ATMs could not have an area larger than one square metre, while the structure approved by the PA was three times that size. 

The PA had committed errors in its endorsement of the DNO and had "irregularly approved it," the Ombudsman said. 

The watchdog had even reported the authority to parliament for ignoring his recommendation to revoke the permit.

But on Thursday, the board revoked DN/00482/22, following the Development Management Directorate's argument that there was an error when the application was first permitted. 

Article 80 allows the Planning Board to revoke or modify permits in cases of fraud, the submission of incorrect information, in cases of public safety or when there is an error on the face of the record.