Environment protection director asked to reconsider resignation

Planning parliamentary secretary Michael Farrugia has asked MEPA Environment Protection director Petra Caruana Dingli nee Bianchi to reconsider her resignation. Dr Caruana Dingli had tendered her resignation earlier this week. Dr Farrugia said this morning that he had met with Dr Caruana Dingli yesterday, following her decision to tender her resignation earlier this week. He said he had urged her to have a rethink. The planning parliamentary secretary also revealed that a call for applications for the post of MEPA CEO would be issued in the next few days, following the resignation of the previous incumbent, lawyer Ian Stafrace. Dr Farrugia admitted that details for a government proposal to fast-track certain planning applications had yet to be ironed out. Under the proposals, developments which adhere to local plans and planning policies will be given a development permit with minimum scrutiny. According to Dr Farrugia, applications would undergo preliminary screening and be signed off by a case officer. A yet-to-be-determined audit function within MEPA would then randomly inspect projects submitted through this process. "If a case officer is found to have been tampering with the...