The Nationalist Party has called on Mepa not to give in to pressure by the Equal Opportunities Minister, Helena Dalli, when it considers whether to grant a permit to regularise infringements in a farmhouse owned by the minister and her husband in Zejtun.
The party said it was clear that the Mepa Board was expected to go against the recommendations of the case officer, who is insisting that the permit should not be granted for various reasons, including the fact that the building is bigger than allowed by law. Even the planned pool is bigger that permissible
The PN said this case reflected arrogance by the government. It also confirmed how the institutions were no longer independent.
Mepa will decide tomorrow whether to sanction infringements on the property.
The Sunday Times of Malta reported yesterday that despite the case officer’s list of reasons justifying the refusal of a permit, the board still requested a document listing the conditions for granting a permit. The request for the ‘conditions of grant’ document is an indication the planning authority board is inclined to approve the permit and overturn the case officer’s recommendation, an architect said.
The Żejtun farmhouse located in an Outside Development Zone came into the spotlight after this newspaper reported workers on site despite an enforcement notice served on Mr Dalli for breaching permit conditions.
Both Mr Dalli and his wife, Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli, have said they were not aware workmen were on site. Their home lies a few metres away. They said a promise of sale agreement on the property has been signed.
Updated documents on the case were not uploaded on Mepa’s website until pressure was applied by this newspaper for the full publication of reports before tomorrow's hearing.
In the updated report by the planning authority, the case officer argues the scale and massing of the building proposed for sanctioning are considered to go beyond the allowable interventions.
The area needs to be considered in relation to the size and proportions of the original site.
The pool size also exceeds the maximum permissible.
“The proposal cannot therefore be positively considered,” the case officer stated. All but one of the reasons listed by the case officer for the board to refuse the permit are inexplicably struck out.
Moreover, an additional document requested by the board lists the conditions on which full development permission, valid for five years, will be granted.
Mr Dalli is the majority shareholder in Pada Bulders Limited, which owns the house.
His wife listed the company in her ministerial declaration of assets but did not specify what properties the company held.