Development will help the economy recover post Covid-19, but intelligent planning and the protection of ODZ will not be abandoned, Environment and Planning Minister Aaron Farrugia told The Malta Independent on Sunday.

Interviewed by this newspaper, Farrugia also said the use of video conferencing in Planning Authority public meetings has proved to be successful and the model, which has even been copied by the UK, should lead to a new way of doing things.

Last week, Prime Minister Robert Abela said the construction sector will be an important economic motor once the Covid-19 crisis is over. Farrugia said he agrees with the statement, but this does not mean that construction in post-Coronavirus times will be unregulated.

“Currently, this is a health challenge but, in the coming weeks and months, it will also be an economic challenge. I believe that the work ethic of the Maltese people will help us out of this crisis. I agree that the sector will be an important economic motor not only because it generates wealth but also because it employs many people. This does not mean, however, that we will abandon the concept of intelligent and sustainable development. It does not mean that we will abandon my call for ODZ to remain ODZ. It means that we will support intelligent planning that will create wealth without sacrificing the environment, so that we can emerge strong and successful from this crisis.”

Extension of planning permits

Asked about the Planning Authority’s decision to extend valid permits by three years, Farrugia said the decision was “purely environmental.”

“When life returns to normal, there will be a number of families and businesses who have planning permits in hand. Had we not addressed this issue, there would have been a race against time and the country would have become one big construction site. We wanted to avoid that situation.”

Permits that are set to expire by 2022 have been extended by another three years. “This is also a social measure because the majority of permits are held by families. These are difficult times, financially. We will be giving these people some breathing space.”

Farrugia explained that people who have planning permits might be losing time because of a lack of workers in the construction industry, or because, financially, they have other priorities now.

“Development costs thousands of euro and some families might be finding it hard to carry out their projects during this time. Because of this, their time window is elapsing. What we are saying is that they can have peace of mind through this extension, which only applies to existing permits.”

 

Video conferencing

Last month, the Planning Authority was criticised for overturning a previous decision to halt all Planning Board and Planning Commission meetings. It has now started doing these meetings via video conferencing. Some environmental NGOs have criticised this move too.

“We are not living in an ideal world right now, so we need to take realistic measures,” Farrugia explained. 

The minister said that he took note of the reactions and, after consulting with legal experts, the PA introduced video conferencing for its public meetings.

“We wanted to ensure that the planning process continues, without affecting people’s rights. Ideally, we would go back to the way these meetings were held before, but there is an important social message here too – post-Covid-19 we can have a hybrid planning system where people do not have to be physically present at the PA offices but can also follow from the comfort of their own homes.”

Farrugia said he was very proud of this measure, which has also been copied by the UK. “They followed our example and their planning committees have also moved towards the digital era.”

The minister said he has been informed, by the Planning Authority chairperson, that Thursday’s meetings – the first held by video conferencing – went very well. “Obviously, there were some teething problems but once everyone was on board the process went ahead and the outcome was very positive.”

 

Boards

Minister Farrugia recently made changes to the boards of a number of entities that fall under his political responsibility.

“As minister for the environment, planning and climate change I am responsible for a number of authorities, including the Planning Authority, the Environment and Resources Authority, WasteServ and others. There was no need for changes in sectors that were moving in the right direction. On the other hand, there were areas where significant changes were made. These included WasteServ, where changes were made in the board and in the management, and the Planning Authority, where changes were made in the commissions. I took cognisance of the criticism and gave direction to the sector.”

 

Enforcement and compliance

Farrugia said the decision by the PM to bring planning and the environment back under one roof was a positive step that facilitates enforcement.

“When taking decisions in the sector, I always have a representative of ERA present together with those of the Planning Authority, and we find a way forward together.

I felt that we were lacking on compliance and enforcement and wanted to change this.”

Farrugia explained that compliance comes first because it is more important that development takes place according to the permits. If this does not happen, enforcement comes in.

“We have started taking bold enforcement measures, including on planning illegalities in Valletta that had gone unaddressed for a number of years. We sent out a very clear message that intelligent development will continue but enforcement and compliance will remain.”

Farrugia said the ERA has already invested €500,000 in its enforcement and compliance unit and this will be strengthened further. “The future of this country is intelligent planning, but enforcement and compliance will be on an equal level.”