Mepa caseload increases

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) decided 455 applicationslast month and received 507 new ones, leaving a net pending caseload of 4,954.

The Authority said that last month it processed 95 notifications of development, which, according to the Development Notification Order 2007, do not require a formal application.

During the same month, 90 Stop and Enforcement notices were issued, 82 in Malta and 8 in Gozo. The enforcement section closed 116 cases, 98 in Malta and 18 in Gozo. 83 other enforcement cases were sanctioned by a planning permit while another 29 cases were resolved by the owners' decision to remove their illegal development and comply with the enforcement notice.

The Authority also received 322 calls on its 24 hour Emergency Service Number 2069 9595. Of these 154 were related to Construction Site Management issues, 30 for Littering issues, 36 Pollution cases, 5 Nature Protection and 97 to illegal development.

The Authority issued 4 IPPC permits for Industrial Installations of which one was a renewal. 156 waste carrier permits were also issued during the month by the Authority.