Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1101649
NEWS 6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 APRIL 2019 JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority ap- proved a staggering 2,501 per- mits which failed to provide for a demand of 8,021 new parking spaces, a factor set to result in increased congestion in these localities in the coming years. In turn developers paid €10,350,317 in lieu of the parking spaces they failed to provide, to either the Urban Improvement Fund or to the Commuters Parking Provisions System (CPPS), both of which are administrated by the PA. St Paul's Bay emerges as the locality which has seen the largest number of new parking spaces not catered for by the permits approved last year. 202 such permits were approved in this locality. In lieu of the 789 parking spaces which were not provided for, developers paid €981,740. The other top localities with the largest number of parking spaces which have not been provided in permits issued last year for were St Julian's (589), Sliema (516), Birkirkara (404), Msida (367), Gzira (348), Mosta (275), Qormi (259) and Marsas- kala (250). The parking shortage prob- lem is set to be more acute in the ninth and tenth electoral districts where a total of 2,229 parking spaces are not catered for by developments approved in 2018. These represent 28% of parking spaces not catered for in developments approved last year. Smaller residential towns like Attard, Naxxar, Pieta and San Gwann, Zabbar, Luqa also fea- ture among localities in which permits issued in 2018 have created a shortage of over 100 parking spaces. In Gozo the parking short- age was most acute in Victo- ria and Zebbug where 123 and 124 parking spaces respectively were not provided for in de- velopments approved last year. Overall 392 parking spaces in Gozo were not catered for in approved developments. The CPPS and UIF funds are financed directly by fees paid by developers, businesses and shop-owners to MEPA if they are unable to provide the re- quired parking facilities for their projects – for example, underground garages for a block of apartments. The fees apply to all develop- ments when a change of use of an existing building carries a higher parking requirement, for example change of use from a shop to a restaurant or bar. The fee is also charged when a de- veloper builds additional floors on top of an existing building. Fees are also paid by restau- rants who take parking spaces when establishing an outside catering area. In 2018 the PA introduced a three-tier rate system whereby a one-car space not provided for would cost the developer €2,500. From the third to the ninth car space not provided for on site, the developer has to make a contribution of €6,000 per car space. From the tenth car space upwards, a €10,000 contribu- tion per car space is imposed. While 70% of the generated fees are directed towards the locality-based Development Planning Fund, the remaining 30% are directed towards green transport proposals called the Island-wide Green Transport Fund (IGTF). The new system replaced fees established in the 1990s which differentiated between those localities which were part of the Commuters Parking Provi- sions System (CPPS) and those that were part of the Urban Im- provement Fund (UIF) system. Previously a developer who did not provide parking on site within a CPPS area had to make a contribution of €2,096 per car space which was not provided for. Within those localities which were part of the UIF sys- tem, a developer was requested to pay €1,164.68 per car space. In 2018, more than €4.5 mil- lion worth of projects were financed by PA funds, a fig- ure far higher than the annual contracted amount for any particular year of PA/MEPA funding since 2003. The funds can be used for a variety of lo- cal projects like parking facili- ties, public transport, sustain- able travelling modes, gardens and landscaping areas, play- ing fields, traffic management schemes, street lighting and furniture, restoration projects, energy efficient buildings, pub- lic conveniences and facilities for the disabled. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Shortage of 8,000 of parking spaces in 2018 Developers paid over €10 million in fines for not providing parking spaces on new developments Localities with a shortage of over 150 parking spaces as a result of permits issued in 2018 Town Parking spaces Sum paid St Paul's Bay 789 €981,741 St Julian's 589 €1,094,017 Sliema 516 €875,307 Birkirkara 404 €571,205 Msida 367 €420,871 Gzira 348 €440,721 Mosta 275 €296,440 Marsaskala 259 €307,989 Qormi 259 €279,726 Mellieha 247 €243,448 Hamrun 195 €201,122 Swieqi 195 €307,380 Naxxar 187 €187,284 Pieta 175 €223,745 San Gwann 163 €275,866 Santa Venera 154 €135,616 Zabbar 150 €148,126 Tarxien 135 €148,256 Zebbug Malta 129 €141,780 Luqa 127 €160,256 Zebbug Gozo 124 €146,316 Rabat Gozo 123 €189,811 Birzebbugia 119 €144,109 Zurrieq 118 €140,962 Attard 118 €123,334. Valletta 117 €195,920 A protest in Sliema in 2016 agaist Planning Authority decisions and over-development. Sliema is the second-highest town when it comes to denied parking spaces from new developments