Consultation with Parliamentary Standing Committee

In a letter to the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, the Kamra tal-Periti (Chamber of Architects and Civil Engineers) referred to the Development Planning Act enacted in 2016, and in particular to the procedures established therein regarding revisions to the Spatial Strategy and to Subsidiary Plans and Local Plans, which require that the Parliamentary Standing Committee for the Environment and Development Planning is consulted on such revisions during the same period as the Planning Authority carries out consultation with the general public. The Committee is required to give its comments on the revisions during the same public consultation period.

The Kamra tal-Periti stressed that, for the Committee to be truly effective and representative, it should have at its disposition the outcome of the public consultation while considering the proposed revisions. This would aid the Committee in considering, reviewing and understanding better the proposal and the reactions to the proposed changes by the public who, after all, these Members of Parliament are elected to represent.

The Kamra tal-Periti suggested that the necessary amendments are effected to the Development Planning Act, such that the consultation process with the Parliamentary Standing Committee is carried out after the public consultation process, and recommended that the Committee is to be presented with a copy of all the submissions made by the public.