GRTU Consultation Meeting

Revision of business
classes by MEPA (change of use) – ATTN: Operators in
Industrial Areas, Tourism Accommodations, Retail Outlets, Kidergartens, Crèche,
Day Nurseries and Day Centres, Schools, Colleges, Training Centers, Goldsmiths
and Silversmiths, Taxi and Vehicle Hire Service, Car sellers and dealers

MEPA
launched a revised document on the Classes Order, which basically groups uses
with similar land use and environmental impacts together into Classes, to
replace the Development Planning (Use Classes) Order of 1994. Today change of
use within the same class do not require development permissions, whist most
changes from one class to another do require a development permit. The revision
presented by MEPA will, in a number of cases, remove the need for a full
development permit when the proposed change of use is perceived to have less of
a land use and environmental impact than what is already permitted on site.

Businesses
falling within these classes are urged to attend and be informed what changes
are proposed and how these might affect them. A consultation meeting will be
held as follows:

Wednesday
13th February

15.00
– 16.30

GRTU,
Exchange Building, Republic Street, Valletta

The
meeting is free of charge but registration on or 21232881 is
required

Class
3: Renamed Tourism Accommodation and would include a new category named small
scale boutique hotels

Class
4: Retail will be replaced with five more specific classes

Class
8: Education would be divided in two groups, one for smaller establishments
that cater for less and the other for larger establishments such as schools

Class
11: Would now include also goldsmiths and silversmiths and includes a proposal
to limit the scale of a Class 11 use to 50m2 without prejudice or amnesty

Class
18: Agriculture would be split to have a new section called Agri businesses

Class
21: This would be a new Class for taxi business, vehicle hire services

Class
22: This would be a new Class for sale or display of vehicles

MEPA
also intends to simplify procedures for shifts between different types of
floorspace within shopping and business complexes and change of uses from shops
to offices and offices to dwellings amongst others.

The
full text of the public consultation is available on the MEPA website http://www.mepa.org.mt/public-consultation2