Archive for year: 2017

In a statement published earlier today, the Kamra tal-Periti made reference to the front-page article carried on the Times of Malta on 21^st June, 2017 reporting the views of the President of the Chamber of Engineers on fire safety in Malta in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The Kamra tal-Periti endorsed and supported the call for proper Building Regulations. The KTP has, over the last years, incessantly made public calls and lobbied successive governments, for the Building Regulation Office to be strengthened and given the resources it needs, so that Malta can finally have modern and appropriate building regulations, covering the full range of health and safety risks faced by building users. Politicians have, unfortunately, found it difficult to understand that Building Regulations, and Building Control, are different to, and separate from, Planning Permit conditions. This failure to understand the industry has resulted in a situation where the need for Building Regulations is treated with indifference – until something happens, and then there is a knee-jerk reaction for the industry to do something.

It added that this lack of awareness has resulted in a piecemeal approach, where various regulations fall under disparate pieces of legislation, weakly attempting at regulating the building industry through the planning process. Sanitary regulations (covering light and ventilation) – conceptually dating from the 19^th century – fall, under one law, within the remit of the Planning Authority, and under another law, under that of the Health Department; Fire Safety guidelines fall under the indirect remit of the Civil Protection Department; Lifts Regulations fall under MCCAA; electricity regulations fall under a privatised Enemalta; drainage regulations fall under the Health Department, but also under the Water Services Corporation; accessibility issues are regulated by the KNPD; excavation, demolition and general construction regulations fall under the BRO; while health and safety on construction sites falls under the OHSA.

“These organisations have all relied on the planning process to enforce their own regulations to some degree. And the KTP reiterates that this is wrong.

The use, or abuse, of the planning process in this way has brought about three adverse consequences:

1. The planning regulatory body is heavily focused on development control, to the detriment of its primarily role of vision, strategic planning, drawing up of master and local plans, and promotion of sustainable development;
2. There is weak statutory focus, oversight and enforcement of building regulations;
3. In the absence of state support for proper and modern Building Regulations, the professionals must fall back to the identification of foreign standards to apply to local construction, often arbitrarily, and without being sure that they are appropriate for Malta.

With specific reference to fire safety, the Kamra tal-Periti is aware that the Civil Protection Department has reached an advanced stage in the drafting of new regulations, particularly in response to the increased high-rise development. The Kamra tal-Periti would like to, yet again, appeal that such regulations are placed within a holistic and consistent system of Building Regulations, administered by the Building Regulation Office.

The Kamra tal-Periti reiterates its offer to place all its resources, both local and international, at the disposal of Government, to assist in the formulation of such Building Regulations, that would fall under the exclusive remit of the Building Regulation Office, and removed from the planning permit approval processes. It has already requested a meeting with the Minister, newly-appointed to assume political responsibility for this sector and looks forward to meeting him to discuss these important issues.”

The President of the Council, Professor Alex Torpiano, has this morning announced that the deadline for submission of expressions of interest to assist the Land Arbitration Board is being extended to the 16th June 2017, as per below:

Act XVII of 2017

 Reference is made to the notice published in this newspaper on Friday, 19 May, 2017 with a call for expressions of interest for architects to serve on the Land Arbitration Board to assist the Arbitration Board in land valuation and other technical matters under Art. 56 (4) of Act No. XVII of 2017.

 This call is being extended until Friday, 16 June, 2017.

 Director and Registrar,

Civil Courts and Tribunals

Members are advised to inform the Department of Justice accordingly should they wish to be considered to serve on the panel of experts for this purpose.

Meanwhile, Profs Torpiano also stated that a meeting was held on the 8th June 2017 with the Department of Justice, and it was agreed that the declaration of good repute previously being requested to be provided by the Kamra tal-Periti is no longer required. Instead, the individual Periti applying to serve on the Board will be required to fill in a Due Diligence Form once their application is vetted, and wherein they will be required to declare, amongst other things, whether there have been any disciplinary proceedings by the Kamra tal-Periti in their regard.

Those Periti who previously served on the Board are required to re-apply.