Transparency in the planning application process

Tom, Dick and Harry are three neighbours living in the construction city named Sliema. They have just gone through a bitter experience with the planning application process. This is their story.

An application for a large development in the neighbourhood was recently submitted to Mepa. An approval would mean that all three would be negatively affected in one way or other.

Tom decided to go to Mepa to view the plans. So he took half a day off and spent at least half an hour in a queue before being called at the desk. Unfortunately, the envelope containing the plans couldn't be found, so he was asked to call again the following day so that the clerk could get the file from the case officer.

The front office desk person also tried to access the site through her PC but couldn't do so due to some technical problem, apart from the fact that the monitor was rather small to view the plans and, obviously, this was not comfortable for either Tom nor the desk assistant. So Tom had to go back the following day where, after the usual time spent in the queue, he finally managed to see the respective plans.

Dick took a different approach. He immediately phoned his architect once he got to know about the proposed development. The latter told him that he could either go to his office to see the plans online or to Mepa. Dick asked the architect whether he could view the same plans online from his home; no was the answer, plans are only available online to architects! So Dick thought that it would be wiser for him to go directly to the architect to see the plans online rather than go to Mepa. That evening, off he went to the architect's office. To his surprise he found about 10 people waiting before him.... he estimated that it will take him more than two hours before he could talk to the architect so he decided that the following morning he will take some time off from work and go to Mepa to view the said plans.

Harry had just read in the papers that Mepa had launched a new system that was more transparent and offered a better access to citizens. Harry was already familiar with the previous system, which basically had a number of shortcomings, among which that of preventing users from viewing plans.

He thought that things had changed and duly sat in front of his PC, registered and eventually logged into the new e-applications system. After a few minutes to familiarise himself with the new system he found the planning application he wanted to see... the site plan was there, larger and better than in the previous system, but when he tried to access the plans of the development, that was the end of the line; not possible! Harry couldn't understand this and thought that he was pressing some wrong button, so he decided to contact Mepa. He was informed that there are restrictions to citizens and plans are only available to be viewed by architects. Harry couldn't understand this logic: Tom, Dick and Harry can go to Mepa to view the plans but they are unable to do so from the comfort of their homes. Their other alternative is to go to their architect and see the plans at his office, obviously at a price.

A couple of week ago, when the e-application process was launched it was stated that this system was more transparent and was intended to provide more access to people such as Tom, Dick and Harry. The system is definitely an asset for architects as it would certainly help them in their work and will avoid a lot of time spent waiting at Mepa to submit applications and other paperwork.

However, Mepa is not just for architects; there are a few hundred architects and 400,000 citizens and Mepa, as a public authority, has a duty towards those citizens. If it decides to launch a system, which it claims to be transparent and would create greater accessibility, it cannot discriminate between citizens. The way things stand, all the citizens are placed in a second category and the architects above the rest, to the extent that if any Tom, Dick and Harry want to see some plans they might be even charged by their architect for the services rendered. So, basically, the system can be used against the citizens rather than in their favour. A transparent and just system is one which treats everyone on an equal footing irrespective of the profession, colour or belief. It is only when Tom, Dick and Harry are treated in this manner that one could boast that the e-application system is a benefit to all the community. So, please, stop this discrimination immediately.

By the way, Tome, Dick and Harry decided to object about the proposed development and they did this from the comfort of their homes!

Dr Doublet is a lecturer in environmental science and an environmental consultant.