Prime Minister Robert Abela used the case of a family who used their life savings to purchase an apartment, only to find out that it had been built illegally, to justify a new planning reform.Abela pointed out that the current law allows people to develop and sell properties, even if the permit is under under appeal.“I have encountered this situation so often in my career,” Abela said on ONE TV. “An objector takes the planning permit to court, wins, and is proven right – but by then, the building is already complete.”“Could the authorities take action? How many times have they done so in the past 30 years? There are reasons why they don’t, and it’s not because they want to stamp their feet or ignore the courts or the objectors.”Abela said he spoke to a family who used their life savings to purchase a small apartment, only for the courts to rule that it had been built illegally.“They didn’t even apply for a bank loan because they used their entire life savings to purchase this apartment, and suddenly realised that they’re living in a property without a permit,” Abela said. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)“One can argue that they took a risk, but I understood their position when they questioned why the law allowed the developer to develop their property during the appeal process.”If the new law passes, developers won’t be allowed to go ahead with their development until the appeal stage is over.There will also be fresh time limits on the appeal stage. Objectors will have 20 days to file an appeal, down from the current 30.The Environment and Planning Tribunal will have to take a decision within five months, extendable by a month. If the objector or applicant decides to challenge the tribunal’s decision in front of the Court of Appeal, the Court will have to pass a ruling within four months, extendable by a month.Frivolous objections – by both the applicant and the objector – will be subjected to a fine of up to €5,000.“I never understood the logic of the current law, and it only created problems,” Abela warned. “There are tens, if not hundreds, of examples like that family in question. They come crying to you and say they don’t know what to do.”The proposed reform will also allow people who constructed illegal developments before 1994 to fully regularise them at a cost.Those who constructed illegal developments after 1994 will have to pay for a concession, which means they will be allowed to keep that property or structure but won’t be allowed to redevelop it.People who refuse to go down this route will face direct action, which means that the authorities will demolish their properties.•