Residents’ associations write to PM to overhaul development planning

A number of resident associations have joined forces to present to the government with a 13-point plan for planning reform, asking that residents be placed at the centre of plans.

In a letter to the prime minister, they presented proposals that include a moratorium on ‘rationalisation zones’ (indicating development zones) and an immediate refusal of Planning Control applications for new roads/cul-de-sac(s) intended to open up access to pockets of virgin land.

The residents’ groups insisted the public must be consulted on such decisions.

“Our proposals centre on residents’ needs… Since 2016, they have seen an exaggerated amount of development that does not fit the locality’s character and does not respect our historical or environmental heritage,” said Matthew Borg, representing NGO Il-Kolletiv, which is working with the residents’ associations on the issue.

The residents involved come from all over the island, from Żurrieq, Żejtun and Birżebbuġa to Siġġiewi, Swatar and Sliema.

The group said on Wednesday, “These proposals reflect residents’ grave concerns about their quality of life resulting from rampant speculation.”

The proposals were put forward to the prime minister following a press conference held by the residents’ associations on 7 July in which residents from different localities across Malta discussed development in their areas, stressing the need for reform that puts people, not developers, at the centre of decisions.

The residents concluded their letter with a request for a meeting with the prime minister and the minister for planning.

These are their proposals:

1. An immediate moratorium on rationalisation zones identified in 2006. Any pending rezoning applications around Malta and Gozo are to be frozen until studies are carried out to determine whether there’s a need for these areas to be open to development. This process should involve and receive the approval of resident associations and sectoral groups involved in areas of interest such as farming, the conservation of our natural and historical heritage, accessibility for all, and alternative transport, as well as the government entities responsible for them.
2. An immediate refusal of Planning Control applications for new roads/cul-de-sac(s) intended to open up access to pockets of virgin land surrounded by existing buildings in a way that green lungs in urban zones are being taken up by the construction of apartment blocks of five or more storeys;
3. The suspension of applications for large projects – whether included in Local Plans or not – including yacht marinas, tall buildings, land reclamation projects, zones marked for the opening of new roads, sports complexes, retirement homes, schools, embassies, large infrastructural projects and others. The need for these projects and the land allocated to them must be studied in line with today’s realities;
4. The immediate suspension of the reform of the DC15 policy proposed by the Planning Authority in February 2024. This provides for an increase in construction activity through a mechanism whereby the height of buildings is regulated in metres, not storeys. This will put additional pressure on infrastructure which never foresaw the huge increase in population density, the lack of parking and more traffic, and services that are unable to cope with demand – such as the supply of electricity. This intensification in construction in various zones in Malta will further impact the quality of life of residents;
5. A reform of the DC15 policy, carried out in conjunction with resident and sectoral groups, with the aim of eliminating the anomalies and contradictions created by parts and annexes of this policy;
6. The boards of the planning and environmental resources authorities should be made individually responsible for the decisions they take when interpreting planning laws and policies, especially when these breach the provisions of the Planning Act and those contained within the Local Plans;
7. The respect and implementation, in a much more rigid manner, of Circular PA3/2000 with respect to the buffer zones which have been created around scheduled buildings and sites. The Planning Authority is to immediately resume its process of scheduling historical buildings and sites in our towns and villages, with a clear deadline for the scheduling of all these properties.
8. The revision and implementation, in a rigorous manner, of the UCA buffer zones identified by the Planning Authority in its revision of the Local Plans carried out between 2013 and 2015. Any applications for tall buildings which are incompatible with the UCA surroundings in terms of aesthetics and mass, are to be refused automatically.
9. The withdrawal of any policy allowing new buildings in ODZ and the sanctioning of illegalities in these areas.
10. The immediate publication of an Urban Capacity Study prepared by the Planning Authority in 2022, as referenced in its Annual Report for 2023.
11. The publication and issue for public consultation of a revised SPED policy, completed by the Planning Authority in 2022, as referenced in its Annual Report for 2023. The final document should be approved and implemented not later than six months from the end of the public consultation. There should be a moratorium on every new application until the process is concluded with the approval of the policy.
12. The commissioning of studies on the measures to be taken to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels in coastal towns, where sustainable, long-term measures are to be employed in the preservation of these towns’ characteristics whilst protecting marine ecosystems. New developments at sea level should be stopped, with the aim of reducing the number of people affected by the effects of climate change.
13. For any amendment to the Strategic Plan, the Local Plans, the Supplementary Guides, the Development Briefs, Action Plans, Management Plans, Subject Plans, policies or the interpretation of any of the above, there should be a moratorium on applications affected by any of these amendments. This moratorium should apply immediately from the date of the consultation announcement and should be removed once the process is completed and the amendments come into force.