Transport Minister Ian Borg has issued an order expanding the classes of development applications decided by the Planning Commission chaired by Elizabeth Ellul, who has faced sustained calls for resignation in the past two weeks.

In a legal notice published on October 25, Dr Borg assigned development applications that partially fall within urban conservation areas (UCA) and outside development zones (ODZ) to the commission chaired by Ms Ellul.

Development applications are handled by two separate commissions, one for proposals within development zones and the other for proposals in ODZs and UCAs.

The second Planning Commission will now handle all applications that straddle the two zones.

Ms Ellul has been besieged by calls to step down after the commission’s controversial granting of permits to property magnate Joseph Portelli, for whom her husband, who is also an architect, has done work in the past. She denies any conflict of interest.

Pressure has grown on Ms Ellul after she voted in favour of a controversial Qala project as a member of the Planning Board, rejecting technical arguments that the application jarred with all relevant policies.

Planning sources said, so far, applications that fell partially in ODZs were being assigned to either of the two planning commissions.

The Transport Minister’s legal notice has now effectively put all such applications under Ms Ellul’s commission. These are usually the most sensitive classes of application due to their potential impact on the natural and cultural heritage.