No permit for One’s electronic billboard

The Planning Authority has turned down One’s application to sanction an electronic billboard that has been operating for the last four years next to the Labour Party’s media house in Marsa.
In November 2013, the planning watchdog issued an enforcement notice against this billboard. This was followed by an application for its sanctioning.
The application was refused because the billboard is not in line with the Authority’s Policy and Design Guidance for Billboards and Signs.
One hundred and fourteen “designated sites” are indicated in this policy, stating clearly that billboards “will only be considered” within these sites. This electronic billboard is not.

While processing the application, the Planning Directorate had informed the applicant that a request for the suspension of the submission could be made until the review of the policy was concluded. The architect suspended the application in April 2014.
A legal notice seeking the removal of illegal billboards that have mushroomed around the Maltese islands was published in March.
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