During the month of February 2009, the Malta Environment & Planning Authority (MEPA) decided 396 applications and received 400 new applications. The net pending caseload at the end of the month was 4,625.

Last month, the Authority processed 57 notifications of development, which, according to the Development Notification Order 2007, do not require a formal application.

In February 2009, MEPA issued 10 contraventions to developers on sites that were breaching Construction Site Management Regulations. The highest number of offences relate to the lack of hoarding, screening around building sites and affixing of notice board on site. These fines amounted to a total of €11,643.78. Inspectors also issued a total of 16 other contraventions, amounting to €6,172.73, to individuals that were found breaching the Littering Act. Here there were two serious breaches related to the dumping of waste that cause nuisance and led to the deterioration of a public place for which the fine amounts to € 2329.37 for each contravention.

During the same month, 200 Stop and Enforcement notices were issued, 160 in Malta and 40 in Gozo. The enforcement section within MEPA closed 36 cases, 28 in Malta and 8 in Gozo. 8 other enforcement cases were sanctioned by a planning permit while another 28 cases were resolved by the owners' decision to remove their illegal development and comply with the enforcement notice.