Tuesday, 7th October 2008 - 09:02CET

MEPA reduces its backlog

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) determined 676 applications in September and received 495 new applications. The net pending caseload at the end of the month was 4,667.

It said that during September it processed 74 notifications of development, which, according to the Development Notification Order 2001, do not require a formal application.

During the same month, 93 Stop and Enforcement notices were issued, 64 in Malta and 29 in Gozo.53 enforcement cases were closed, 26 in Malta and 27 in Gozo. 39 enforcement cases were sanctioned by the issue of a sanction permit. Another 10 cases were resolved since owners decided to remove illegal development and comply with enforcement notice.

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Comments

R. Gerada (on 8/10/08)

I do not know the personal cases or reasons for all the comments submitted before mine, but it seems that according to you, MEPA never gets one right. First we criticise MEPA for the delay in issuing of permits, then when according to their statistics, the caseload has been reduced, we say that it issues permits, left, right and centre!!! Some sort of balance is needed.

Rio Sammut (on 7/10/08)

"Of course, by approving the permits quickly everyday without taking the responsibility of ruining other people's property by developing maisonettes and terraced houses into a block of concrete. This helps to reduce the backlog.."
Well said Mr.Attard. Officers at MEPA issue permits left, right and centre without giving a hoot to the suffering of countless residents from excessive dust, unbearable noise, and other inconveniences. How can the ministers responsible for development simply sit and watch the destruction that is going on without intervening seriously?

M Attard (on 7/10/08)

Of course, by approving the permits quickly everyday without taking the responsibility of ruining other people's property by developing maisonetts and terraced houses into a block of concrete. This helps to reduce the backlog..

E. Azzopardi (on 7/10/08)

Let us keep destroying the country! And we are managing it very nicely, thank you very much.
Please let us not kid ourselves any longer and keep on saying that what we do is for our country!

C Cassar (on 7/10/08)

So three quarters of the closed enforcement cases came about because MEPA retrospectively approved the illegality. It's hard to shake the feeling that MEPA is taking the easy way out in a desperate effort to cut its enforcement backlog. And yet the backlog continues to increase, with a net addition of 40 cases.

Seventeen years of political neglect has turned this issue into an almighty nettle for a government to grasp - but let's hope that someone, finally, does so ...