Planning Authority announces funds to assist social and local clubs, facade scheme extended

Irrestawra l-kazin: a PA fund to assist social and local community clubs

The Planning Authority together with the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning, have realised the significant financial repercussions on Social and Local Community Clubs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Such clubs play an integral role in the social fabric of our towns, villages, and society as a whole. The aim of the recently launched 'Irrestawra l-Każin' grant scheme is to provide financial assistance at a time when such clubs have had a considerable reduction in their income, but still had to carry out maintenance works.

With an allocated fund of €250,000, the maximum amount that can be awarded to each Social and Local Community Club will not exceed €5,000. Eligible works are related to the maintenance of the premises and such works may have already been carried out, are still in progress or may still need to be carried out, such that all receipts are presented to the Planning Authority by the 15th of December 2021. Those works that require a planning permit are still expected to be covered by a valid permit.

Martin Saliba, Chairperson of the Executive Council at the Planning Authority, said that "Social and Local Community Clubs are visited regularly and bring communities together. We felt the need to help them out with their financial struggle and developed this scheme which falls under the recently launched ‘Irrestawra’ series of schemes. All such schemes have had a very good take-up and I believe that ‘Irrestawra l-Każin’ will do so too.’

Applications opened on the 22nd of September and are on a first-come, first-served basis. The scheme will remain open until November 30th, or until the allocated budget is used up.

The conditions applicable to the scheme are available at pa.org.mt/irrestawra-kazin. Further information on the "Irrestawra l-Kazini" scheme can be obtained by calling on 22901554/22901555 or by emailing [email protected].

Irrestawra l-faccata scheme extended

All properties, including commercial buildings in a number of streets where traffic is considerably higher than the norm, are now eligible to benefit from the Irrestawra l-Faċċata scheme after the Planning Authority decided to extend the scheme by a further two months.

The €2 million Irrestawra l-Faċċata scheme is seeking to regenerate a number of streets within town centres which are subject to a high volume of traffic. The facades in these streets experience accelerated deterioration as a result of traffic pollution and require considerable maintenance and restoration.

This extended scheme is open to owners of ANY property within the same areas defined in the original scheme. These consist of the parts of the following streets lying within urban conservation areas: Triq D’Argens in Msida, Triq il-Kbira San Gużepp in Hamrun/Sta Venera, Triq il-Wied in Birkirkara, Triq Stiefnu Zerafa, Triq is-Salib tal-Marsa, Triq Patri Felicjan Bilocca and Triq Balbi in Marsa, Triq Bormla, Triq Ħal Tarxien and Triq Ħal Luqa in Paola, Triq Ħal Tarxien and Triq Paola in Tarxien and Triq il-Kbira in Rabat (Malta). In total, the scheme covers approximately 5km of street length.

The scheme will now close on 30th November 2021. The list of streets that are eligible to benefit from this grant scheme fund are available from the Authority’s website: https://www.pa.org.mt/irrestawra-faccata.