The Opposition wants two legal notices exempting development in public hospitals from a planning permit to be struck down.

Nationalist MPs Marthese Portelli and Ryan Callus this afternoon gave notice of a parliamentary motion to challenge the two legal notices tabled earlier this month, which also exempt hospital development from the obligation of an environment impact assessment.

The Opposition MPs contend that the legal notices fall foul of EU regulations since the exemptions allowed at law cannot be used to exclude beforehand any development on hospital sites from the rigours of a planning process.

Dr Portelli and Mr Callus are calling on Parliament to strike off the legal notices.
The legal notices came to light in August and raised eyebrows because three of the hospital sites – St Luke’s Hospital, Karin Grech and Gozo general hospital – are earmarked for privatisation. Government is currently in talks with Vitalis for the redevelopment of the sites to offer private and public healthcare services.