PA approves application by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on a Saturday

Kevin Schembri Orland The Planning Authority (PA) today approved a minor application for amendments to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s Burmarrad residence, curiously on a Saturday.

The application itself was, according to the application description, “to remove internal wall and insert steel beams.”

The application was filed, according to the PA website, on 15 March. The case officer’s assessment was endorsed by Johann Buttigieg himself. Buttigieg is the executive chairperson of the PA’s Executive Council. In response to questions sent by this newsroom, the PA said that he can endorse applications.

While there was no planning board session on the agenda scheduled for yesterday, this newsroom is informed by experts that summary decisions on small applications are normal. They added, however, that for such an application to be decided on a Saturday is abnormal. “Why couldn’t such a minor application have waited till Monday?” an expert asked.

The public application also does not contain any drawings regarding the proposals.

PA response

Questions were sent by this newsroom to the Planning Authority.

This newsroom asked the Planning Authority whether it usually works on a Saturday, why this decision was taken on a Saturday, whether the decision was taken summarily, and whether Johann Buttigieg often endorses assessments directly.

The PA, in response, said: “Kindly note that PA/02537/18 is a summary application, which applications are not decided by a commission/board in a public meeting but by the chairperson or a member of the Planning Commission.”

“This is not the first application which has a decision date on a Saturday. Given that such applications are decided by the chairperson or board member applications get decided on a Saturday too.”

“All applications are signed on behalf of the executive chairperson and therefore the executive chairperson can also endorse an application. In view of the fact that the application affects the internal elements of the prime minister’s residence, access to endorse these files is restricted to top management and the executive chairperson.”