Public invited to physically attend PA meetings

The Planning Authority has announced that representees and the public may attend the Planning Commission’s Meeting in Public next Wednesday, 4 months after moving to online-only meetings because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Back in March, the PA had introduced “Webmeeting” an online meeting platform through which it would conduct its public meetings.
In a statement issued this morning, the PA confirmed that in the correspondence sent to all representees and objectors informing them that the Planning Commission will be discussing and deciding planning application PA04037/19 – about a controversial building project in St. Julians village core - it specifically mentioned that “if interested parties were unable to join the Webmeeting, they were invited to attend the meeting physically at the Planning Boardroom, St. Francis Ravelin, Floriana.”

Any member of the public who chooses to physically attend the public meeting "will have to adhere to COVID measures", the statement said.

The Planning Commission, which decides ODZ and UCA applications, is currently carrying out trial hybrid board hearings, where proceedings are still conducted through video conferencing but still allowing for the public and interested parties to physically attend hearings, since the Commission is conducting its sittings at the Planning Authority’s board room.

The PA said it had received positive feedback from stakeholders who frequently participate in Planning Board or Commission through online facilities.