A third of all development applications approved by the Planning Authority on land that is outside the development zone related to works on dwellings, according to figures tabled in Parliament.
The data was submitted by Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia in response to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Joe Ellis, who asked for a breakdown of the number of permits approved in 2020, according to the type of permit and whether or not it fell within the development zone.
In general, the figures show that 65% of all permits approved, both within and outside the development zone, related work on dwellings. 43% concerned applications for alterations to existing dwellings, while 22% related to new dwellings – including conversions of old properties.
The most common type of approved application outside the development zone related to agriculture and fishing activities (385), followed by alterations to existing dwellings (219) and the construction of new dwellings (115).
Within the development zone, applications related to “retail services” were the most common after those related to dwellings.
The construction industry in Malta has been in overdrive in recent years, with the public’s concerns about overdevelopment at all-time high, mainly due to the disturbance resulting from ongoing works.
The industry is also criticised for the lack of safeguards in place to ensure workers’ safety with serious injuries on construction sites reported on an almost daily basis.
Lovin Malta recently launched Planning Web, a platform collecting permit data from the Planning Authority with the intention of adding some much-needed transparency to Malta’s urban planning sector.
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