The Parliament building in Valletta had been operating without a compliance certificate for more than two-and-a-half years, being certified only last week, the Times of Malta has learned.

A Planning Authority spokes-man confirmed that the building’s compliance certificate was issued on November 17.

The certificate, seen by this newspaper, indicates that Parliament had submitted the required documentation a month earlier, on October 11.

The new building was inaugurated on May 4, 2015, when the first parliamentary sitting was held and has been used continuously since.

By law, no new electrical or water services can be provided without a compliance certificate

Compliance certificates are issued by the planning watchdog to ensure that developments are carried out in line with the planning permits issued. This is done prior to the provision of water and electricity supplies.

By law, no new electrical or water services can be provided without a compliance certificate.

When applying, an applicant’s architect declares that the development is entirely in conformity with the approved plans and permit conditions, with the compliance certificate then being issued on the strength of this declaration. It is not clear what caused the lengthy delay in applying for a compliance certificate or how water and electricity was supplied to the new Parliament building once the compliance certificate had not been issued yet.

When contacted, the Clerk of the House, Ray Scicluna, directed questions to the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation, as project manager, and to Malita Investments, the special purpose vehicle set up in 2012 to finance the City Gate project, which is the lessor.

Neither entity had responded to questions sent by e-mail by the time of writing.

The corporation is being threatened with legal action by architect Renzo Piano’s office over claims it was still owed €300,000 in unpaid fees related to the Parliament building.

In a judicial letter filed on Wednesday, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop gave the corporation until today to make the payment, including interest.

The €300,000 is an additional payment established in an ancillary agreement signed in March 2015, after delays in the completion of the Parliament project.

Mr Piano’s office says the payment was due on “practical completion” of the building in May 2015.