Buildings with limited public access due to a steep street gradient or a flight of steps will be exempt from accessibility requirements, according to planning regulations unveiled yesterday.
However, such exemptions will come at a cost as applicants will be obliged to contribute to a special fund that will be administered by the National Commission Persons with Disability.
The revised ‘access for all requirements’ have been agreed following a protocol between the planning authority and the KNPD.
Addressing his final news conference before today’s swearing in as Social Policy Minister, the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Michael Farrugia, said the aim was to address a number of grey areas that were causing delays in the processing of planning applications.
The new regulations will exempt applicants from conforming to accessibility requirements if the street’s gradient is 1:8 or the immediate public access consists of a flight of steps.
While mechanical step climbers may be considered as a remedial solution for buildings where the ground floor is up to 1.5 metres above street level, the building will be exempt from the requirements if the difference in levels is higher.
However, buildings that do not qualify for such requirements will be subject to a fee that will go in an inclusion fund. The rate will be €20 for each inaccessible square metre up to a maximum of €5,000. For old buildings in urban conservation areas, this fee will be halved as, more often than not, such structures offer very limited accessibility.
A major change is that some areas in buildings that may pose a potential risk to disabled people due to the nature of the activity taking place, such as abattoirs and hotel kitchens, will be excluded from assessment.
Buildings with a floor space of less than 75 square metres will remain exempt but areas used as stores and kitchens will excluded for purpose of area computation.
In case of major projects, applicants may elect to appoint an independent accredited monitor to supervise works who, in turn, may endorse changes without the need to halt works pending KNPD approval. The monitor will be responsible for issuing the final compliance certificate. Accessibility auditing courses will be introduced so there will be more people qualified to evaluate buildings.
It was also announced that no further accessibility requirements will be imposed for structures where previous interventions had been covered by a permit issued in consultation with the KNPD.
Meanwhile, Joe Camilleri said that with immediate effect he would be stepping down as chairman of the KNPD after 20 years at the helm. He will be succeeded by Oliver Scicluna.
Touching on the new regulations, Mr Camilleri stressed the commission was not abrogating its responsibilities; the changes mainly affected people with mobility problems. He said the number of planning applications being halted due to accessibility issues was small.