Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1082991
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 FEBRUARY 2019 NEWS ANALYSIS what local investors and peo- ple wanted. This was bound to trigger a movement as a roll- ing stone gathers no moss… whether positive or not we shall see…. But it is imperative not to leave a concrete jungle behind". How townscapes are changing Vella Lenicker describes the impact of this surge of permits as dramatic. "Everybody is aware that it can be very remunerative to convert a single unit into multi-units, even small and unsanitary ones, and to rent these out at exorbitant rates. The result is a wholesale transformation of the urban fabric, without a holistic plan, and with little regard to the sensitivity of our urban cores and edge of development bands". Architect and FAA activ- ist Tara Cassar notes that the trend is highly visible. "The resultant scarring blank party walls and dissonant streetscapes that have become the new norm are by the Plan- ning Authority's standards completely acceptable". This is because the Plan- ning Authority does not con- sider existing proportions and forms when deciding on what is and isn't admissible. Instead the Planning Authority bases its decision on the maximum permissible height listed in the Local Plan for that street, creating today's visual scenario where skylines characterised by two to three- storey houses are now broken by five to six-storey apart- ment blocks. While averse to develop- ment in villages Colin Zam- mit welcomes the redevelop- ment of town houses located in coastal areas. "Although to people who are not in the trade like me, the amount of construction and tower cranes is excessive and disturbing, several areas of Gzira, Sliema, Msida, Pieta, Bugibba and Xemxija still had a lot of 1950/60's badly-built buildings which allowed for redevelopment once build- ing heights were increased. These areas are prone to re- development and above nor- mal heights make sense. This is not the case with regards to inland villages". Less pressure on the ODZ? While the PA is approving more dwellings, the percent- age of new dwellings ap- proved outside development zones (ODZ) has fallen to just 1.1% of the total, down from 1.5% last year and from 3.8% in 2016. The percentage of ODZ dwellings approved by the PA was the lowest ever since 2000. "Looking at ODZ dwellings in per- centage terms may give the impression of a decrease, but in reality the number of units permitted in 2018 (139) is slightly higher than that in 2017 (136). So the de- mand has remained constant over the past two years, de- spite a drop from 2016," notes Vella Lenicker. According to Colin Zammit, new dwellings or commercial activities in ODZ are discour- aged even by this adminis- tration. But he sees room for ODZ development other than dwellings. "One would prefer large scale hotels or houses for the elderly or large recycling plants to be outside scheme for several reasons". Tara Cassar sees one silver lining in the statistics, namely that there is enough space to sustain existing demand with- out any need to change poli- cies again to accommodate more development. "By applying the Planning Authority's same logic, it is clear that Malta is nowhere near reaching its full develop- ment potential". Basically all the houses found along streets where apartment blocks are built can in most cases be redeveloped in the same way. "This would mean that streets that previously catered for 20 households could now cater for 100 to 120 dwell- ings". While this comes with its own drawbacks, mainly due to increased pressure on in- frastructure, it also illustrates "the baselessness of the as- sumption that the only solu- tion to a housing shortage would be to build upwards (build high-rise develop- ments) or build outwards (build in rural areas)". This means that there are thousands of potential units yet to be considered that could provide Malta with the property supply that some are predicting may be needed in the coming years. "If existing plots along streets already committed physically to five or six-storey apartment blocks are redeveloped sen- sibly, Malta can continue to grow without compromising the quality and character of its built and natural environ- ment". What if all the foreigners leave? Vella Lenicker notes that statistics point at a very steep rise in the number of units approved between 2015 and 2018, compared to the much more gradual increase be- tween 2002 and 2007, which was followed by a drop in permits following an interna- tional recession triggered by the bursting of a global hous- ing bubble. Statistics also reveal a signif- icant increase in the number of single units converted to multi-unit dwellings, starting slowly in 2013, and exploding in 2018. But Colin Zammit does not expect any sharp drop in per- mits in the next years noting that the mega projects that are in the pipeline and the "in- credible number of road works in progress and planned" will mean more foreign workers. "More foreign workers mean more units required to rent. Hence, I do not see an over- supply or slow down for now". But Zammit expects prob- lems when most projects are finalised, and several foreigners leave. Another threat can come in the shape of tax advantages for certain industries like gam- ing. "Then we will have a lot of empty units and rents will get back to those prior to this eco- nomic boom." TIMELINE 2005 • New design guidelines permit receded f loor on most houses 2006 • Local plans extend development zones and allow 3-storey development and penthouses in all towns and villages 2007 • 11,343 permits for new dwellings issued 2008 • Malta joins Eurozone 2009 • Global financial crisis 2012 • Permits for dwellings drop to 3,064 2013 • Labour elected to power 2015 • Building heights standardised to 17-18m with f lexibility in policy interpretation 2018 • 12,885 permits approved "Most of our towns and villages are being irreversibly altered as this process of transformation from single to multiple unit dwellings continues" Simone Vella Lenicker