The Sydney Opera House it ain’t. Did the architect – and the judges – misread the brief?

If this won first prize, can we see what came bottom?

The document reference number shown on the green stamp (DN/693/15/10) in one of the documents published above shows that the planning permission was given under L.N. 115 of 2007 (Development Notification Order) which exempts certain classes of development from a full planning application. Instead, they have to be notified to MEPA some weeks before the work starts.

The only class of development to which one might, with some stretch of the imagination, assign the structure is Class 15 of Schedule 1 of the above legal notice. This refers to “tented structures”. As I wrote, it takes some stretch of the imagination to classify this as a tented structure. And I’m not expressing a personal opinion here, but one expressed by Perit Robert Musumeci in an article in MaltaToday on Sunday of 22 March 2009.

Perit Musumeci wrote (practically quoting the said legal notice) as follows:

“In particular, L.N. 115 of 2007 DEVELOPMENT PLANNING ACT (CAP. 356) Development Notification Order, 2007 CLASS 15 entitled Tented Structures provides that tented structures may be erected on land for not more than six (6) months in any one (1) calendar year. Tented structures are taken to mean structures made of fabric, plastic or similar light materials.”

This definition gives a perfect verbal definition of the picture of a tented structure published on page 14 of MEPA’s public consultation document for Development Control Design Policy Guidance and Standards 2014 (copy attached).

The legal notice particularly fussy about the temporary nature of such structures and, just to make sure there is no misinterpretation, states, “The structure must be completely removed and the land used or affected must be fully restored to its pristine condition, before the expiry of such six-month period”.

I could be mistaken, but it seems to me that unless this structure is made of “fabric, plastic or similar light materials” and will stand “for not more than six (6) months in any one (1) calendar year”, as Perit Musumeci rightly wrote in 2007, then it seems to be not covered by a valid planning permission.

Assume that if it’s in the national anthem, then it’s correct.