Planning authority auditor Joe Falzon does not agree with a Magistrates' Court ruling that meetings between planning officers and developers were "normal practice", saying such meetings are illegal.

The court cleared two former Development Control Commission members of exercising a private interest in the process of adjudicating the application for an open-air disco in Mistra.

In a judgment last Wednesday, the court noted that the accused had told the police that throughout the adjudication process they attended meetings organised by the planning authority's complaints and liaison officer. The two men expressed uncertainty as to whether such meetings should have taken place but the magistrate noted that such meetings constituted normal practice by the complaints and liaison department and were meant to iron out issues between the planning authority officers and developers.

Mr Falzon begs to differ and argues that the planning law clearly lays down that all DCC meetings must be held in public.

"I do not know when the practice of one-on-one meetings started. I had been chairman of the DCC board for six years and I never had any one-on-one meetings with developers and objectors. I believe it is illegal because planning law says DCC meetings have to be held in public," Mr Falzon insists.

In the closed meetings, he adds, board members can compromise themselves because they will only be meeting the applicant to the exclusion of objectors and other interested parties.

"I had explained to the Mepa chairman that what was deemed to be normal practice was in fact practised by some board members and not all. My concerns about the legality of private meetings were forwarded to DCC board members and I am informed that DCC A board members have stopped this practice."

ksansone@timesofmalta.com