Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1369939
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 MAY 2021 NEWS CONTACT Adriana Farrugia or Erika Arrigo on 21382741 for sponsorship opportunities SCAN THIS CODE TO WATCH PUBLIC HEALTH SUPERINTENDENT CHARMAINE GAUCI INTERVIEWED Malta faces go beyond what the local plans lay down. Callus blames "a raft of out- rageous policy changes be- tween 2013 and 2015" which could be reversed immediate- ly. They include the increase in building heights across the board through an "under- handed amendment" which turns permissible heights from storeys into metres, al- lowing developers to fit more storeys in the same height, making redevelopment a much more attractive pros- pect. Another is the weakening of the health and sanitary reg- ulations in buildings, allow- ing tall buildings in narrow streets. "Government has consistently accommodated developers' requests to waive even those restrictions on de- velopment that had been in- cluded the 2006 Local Plans." In October, Moviment Graf- fitti presented a document containing 134 proposals de- tailing the changes needed, following a year of consulta- tion with lawyers, architects, organisations, farmers and residents. Callus says all pro- posals are legally achievable. "Our request for a meeting with the Prime Minister and the concerned ministers to discuss the proposals were to- tally ignored," he said. Besides the need for specific policy changes, Callus called for a radically different poli- cy approach arguing that so far, policies have been drafted from the developers' perspec- tive rather than from the per- spective of the common good and quality of life. "For instance, policies should establish the maxi- mum volume of development allowed rather than the right to build the whole volume. If a policy states that up to six storeys can be allowed in a particular area, this should not give the developer an au- tomatic right to a six-storey building. Six storeys would only constitute the limit that cannot be exceeded, but au- thorities might impose an obligation to build less than that amount if the context so requires." He also lambasts the plan- ning and environment au- thorities as a "disgrace." "Decisions are more often than not determined by busi- ness and political interests be- hind the scenes. Institutional reform needs to take place, such as the way in which PA and ERA board members are appointed, if we are to stop the fast-paced destruction of our natural, agricultural and urban spaces." And while policy changes are important for environ- mentalist Claire Bonello, the crux of the matter lies in appointing the right people in decision-making boards. "Doing away with the so- called Flexibility Policy, the Hotels Height Adjust- ment Limitation Policy and amending the Rural Policy sensibly might be a way to start. But ultimately, laws are implemented by people. Unless those people are free from conflicts of interest and well-intentioned, legislative change will merely be an aca- demic exercise." "Anyone who suggests quick-fix solutions to resolve the crisis in the industry, particularly in relation to planning and building regulation, has not yet fully grasped the gravity of the situation."