Fate of ‘ugly’ Sliema room decided today

The planning authority board is today expected to decide the fate of a room built on a Sliema townhouse that jarred with the uniform streetscape. Sources said the board had an internal recommendation to withdraw the permit granted last year after various breaches were found during a planning investigation. One of the breaches is that wrong information was presented to the planning authority when the planning application was filed, according to the sources. The law stipulates that such a shortcoming can lead to the withdrawal of a permit and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority has in the past used this clause. This comes on the back of what Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Farrugia told Times of Malta last week, that the room in Rudolph Street was not built according to approved plans. The construction created a furore when pictures of the pristine white structure were circulated on Facebook. Shortly after the case was highlighted, Dr Farrugia had asked Mepa to investigate how the permit was issued and whether all conditions were adhered to. The controversy sparked a wider debate as to whether Mepa should also give aesthetic value its due before approving permits,...