Prime Minister Robert Abela has criticised developers who submit applications that breach planning policies, saying such proposals should not even be entertained by planners.
The prime minister also implied that he believes a proposal to turn a residential palazzo in the heart of Birkirkara into a hotel should be rejected.
“Applications that are not in line with planning policies should not even be submitted,” Abela said during an interview on Labour-owned radio station ONE.
“Even if applicants then present changes to bring proposals into line, the application will have gotten off on the wrong foot. Applications should be in line with policies from the outset.”
The prime minister made the statement in response to a question about a proposal to build a 38-room hotel right next to Birkirkara’s St Helen Basilica, replacing an existing palazzo.
The proposal was filed by Emanuel and Thomas Mifsud of E&TM Company Ltd.
Abela said that he had looked into the application.
“I will not comment on its aesthetic design or proposed building volume. But if the application is a non-starter from a policy perspective, the [Planning] Authority only has one decision to take.”
“I find myself asking, ‘why do developers submit applications that are total non-starters?’” he said. “If you have a proposal that is not in line with planning policies, don’t even bother to submit them.”
Critics of the PA would argue that the answer to the prime minister's rhetorical question is that applicants have in the past often been able to obtain permits that breached planning policies.
Several planning applications have drawn criticism from objectors for alleged breaches of existing policies, and a number of high-profile projects approved by planners have subsequently had permits revoked by the law courts – at times even after they were already built.
Abela said that he wanted developers to make an effort to win over residents and involve them in their plans from the outset, rather than try and muscle past their objections.
“We have a duty to protect gardens within our urban spaces. I understand people who get upset by such applications,” he said, adding that he was pleased to see Labour-led local councils stand up to developers whose projects would damage local communities.
The government’s policy to add green urban spaces was clear and endorsed by an electoral mandate, the prime minister said, adding that the private sector needed to ensure its proposals followed that policy direction.
“Many developers are doing so, but some cowboys remain,” he said. “Just because you own a private property, it does not mean you can do whatever you want with it.”