MEPA to consider new balconies maintenance scheme

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) said today that in future it would assess the need to re-issue another scheme to help owners repair their wooden balconies.

The authority in a statement insisted that the Wooden Balcony Grant Scheme which was started in 1996 was never an on-going initiative but a periodic incentive that the authority gave throughout the years.

Prior to the launch of the last scheme, in October 2007, the authority had issued this incentive grant on seven other occasions. On all occasions the scheme was limited and restricted to a minimal number of localities or properties.

“Upon receiving a great number of requests from residents all over Malta and Gozo to have their locality one day included in this scheme, the authority last October decided to accommodate this demand by opening up this scheme for all localities in Malta and Gozo that had an Urban Conservation Area and all other scheduled properties. This approach was adopted to give all residence and localities an equal, one-time opportunity to benefit from this financial incentive. In fact unlike in previous years, for the latest scheme the authority committed €1,196,049 in grants.”

MEPA said these grants will be distributed to all residents that had applied and received a letter of acceptance from the authority. The submission of applications for this scheme was open between October 2007 and the 15^th January 2008.

The authority said that in the future it would assess the need to re-issue another scheme.