OPM tells Mepa to suspend all meetings

The Government has told Mepa to suspend meetings until it receives new instructions from the Office of the Prime Minister. The Mepa board, which decides on larger planning applications, was due to meet on Thursday while the environment and planning commissions, which deal with minor permits, had meetings scheduled for next week. Last week, members of boards connected to Mepa were asked to tender their resignation. Sources said although it was natural for a new government to appoint a new board at Mepa, the planning process did not usually come to a stop after the election. A spokesman for the OPM confirmed that all meetings have been put on hold “until there is a good hold of the current situation of these existent boards”. “All boards will resume to their function in the coming days.” Full story in The Times.