It is amazing how the Planning Authority can ever launch what it calls a “one-time opportunity” that invites people who, over the years, have spited it, ignored it or undermined it, to now come forward to cash in on their illegalities.

But it was not really the ‘autonomous’ authority that launched it but Planning Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri, who said there were just too many illegalities and one needed to be realistic. She speaks of bona fide owners of properties that cannot be sold because the banks, rightfully, do not issue loans for such purchases.

The amnesty, because that is what it is, covers all sorts of properties, including penthouses. Exactly how bona fide the owners of such properties are is questionable.

The scheme, which runs more or less until election time, comes as no surprise. This government has already rewarded the squatters at the wholly illegal shanty towns in Armier and elsewhere by providing them with water and electricity supplies. And, yet, Dr Schembri incredibly claims the government, from the beginning of the legislature, has not taken an “anything goes” attitude.

Most offensive to people’s intelligence were her justification for the amnesty. She said that because the properties cannot be sold, separated couples were being forced to live under one roof and cancer patients could not afford their chemotherapy because they could not sell their properties. Then she ominously adds: “Through this scheme, the value of their properties will rise significantly.”

In other words, this has nothing to do with affording to pay the chemotherapy the government should be providing for free but is simply a Labour bonanza to abusers to rake in their votes come the next election. According to Dr Schembri, the government has an electoral mandate to carry out this measure.

At present, it is already possible to sanction an illegal development through the planning process. But this scheme addresses what the Planning Authority describes as “existing unsanctionable non-conformant development”. These include sanitary law infringements. These are, therefore, buildings that could never get a development permit. Instead of enforcing the rules, the PA is doing away with them so long as the building is within the development zones (should people be grateful for such small mercies?) and there is no “injury to amenity”.

The Chamber of Architects is very critical of the plan. In truth, some of its own members are also responsible for the chaotic state of the current planning regime. But the chamber appears to want to distance itself from the abusers when it says the amnesty would promote the laissez faire attitude of certain developers.

It says the legal notice contains loopholes, lacunae and vague requirements, which is the worst possible combination when you are trying to ‘regulate’ the illegal. It is also concerned that there appears to be no provision for public consultation or for consultation with authorities such as the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. This means that owners of illegal buildings will have a smoother ride than anyone wanting to follow the rules. Even worse, urban conservation areas, which are themselves scheduled, have been included in the scheme.

Should an application be refused, the chamber said, there is no obligation for the PA to request the removal of the illegality.

Effectively, the amnesty will change nothing for law-abiding citizens but appease the abusers. It will simply fatten the pockets of those who have cut corners, have ignored regulations and standards and have helped degrade the country’s urban environment to the sorry state it is now in.

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