Il-Policy P53 tal-linja gwida DC15 hija ntiza sabiex tikkontjeni l-impatti negattivi li jistgħu jiġu kkawżati permezz tal-emissjoni tad-duħħan jew tad-dħaħen kif ukoll l-impatt viżiv, b’mod partikolari għall-iżviluppi adjacenti.

L-ahhar parti tal-policy tirrgwardja speċifikament Commercial kitchen extract systems u tesiġi illi:

‘Given the greater concern of the implications for flues and fume extraction in the case of cooking smells from restaurants, cafés, snack bars, take-aways and the like, and even more so where these uses are located under or adjoining dwellings, in addition to the above provisions the following considerations will also be taken on board in the design of commercial kitchen extract systems:

1) Filtered or unfiltered kitchen extract points will not discharge to, or terminate in a shaft, yard or any elevation which serves residential properties. The height of the flue will be 3 metres above the highest roof of any building within a radius of 25 metres.

2) The Authority shall require a report by a Warranted Mechanical Engineer, which shall recommend appropriate type of odour filtration equipment, based on a case by-case risk assessment method.

Such a recommendation of type of filters and risk assessment shall be carried out in accordance to internationally available guidance documents. The type of odour filtering equipment shall always be based on a risk assessment that considers the worst-case scenario of cooking type and discharge velocity.

The Authority will alternatively accept the use of filters that do not require external venting. Nevertheless, the use of such unvented kitchen extraction is to be accompanied by a design of a ventless system designed by a Warranted Mechanical Engineer in accordance P53 to international guidelines. Such a system will also take into account whether the cooking ranges from where the extract hood is extracting are based on electrical or gas-fired appliances.

Control on the environmental effects of the development and its operation will also be operated through the (separate but related) environmental permitting process’. 

B’danakollu, meta r-ristorant ma jkollux access ghall-bejt u l-applikant jipprezenta rapport ta’ inġinier sostnut minn clearance tal-Environment Health Directorate, l-Awtorita’ ghandha habta taghlaq ghajn wahda quddiem discharge points t’arja filtrata li ma jarmux f’bitha izda fuq faccata ta’ bini residenzjali.^[1]

Jidher li dan l-istatus quo ha zvolta differenti f’decizjoni ricenti  fl-ismijiet Perit Christopher Grech –vs- l-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar u l-kjamat in kawża Angela Mallia moghtija mit-Tribunal ta’ Revizjoni tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar nhar l-20 ta’ Gunju 2024 (Appell 90/22JB, PA2064/21) fejn l-istess Tribunal irrevoka permess wara li sab li s-sistema ta’ l-arja filtrata kienet titfa’ fil-faccata u ssokta josserva li  ‘hemm sistemi oħra illi jistgħu jiġu applikati in linea mal-policy P53 mingħajr ma ssir estrazzjoni fuq il-faċċata ta’ arja “relatively high temperature”’. Minn dan isegwi li gestituri ta’ kcejjen kummercjali formanti parti minn stabbilimenti tal-ikel ghandhom effettivament diffikulta f’termini ta’ planning policy ma’ wicchom meta l-arja (anke jekk filtrata) tkun  ser tintrema ‘l barra permezz ta’ discharge points, ikun fejn ikun. Bl-insenjament moghti f’Perit Christopher Grech, il-kliem ‘Filtered or unfiltered kitchen extract points will not discharge to, or terminate in a shaft, yard or any elevation which serves residential properties’ mhu qed ihalli ebda lok ghal manuvrar

[1] Ara per ezempju decizjoni moghtija nhar it-18 ta’ Jannar 2022 mill-Kummissjoni ta’ l-Izvilupp fil-kaz PA2064/21