Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1493176
NEWS 5 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 22 FEBRUARY 2023 JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority ap- proved 9,523 new dwellings in 2022, 2,000 more than the previ- ous year and equating to an aver- age of 26 new houses every day. This also means that in a single year, the number of new dwell- ings approved by the PA was higher than the total number of occupied dwellings in Birkirkara in 2011. Moreover, in 2022 a total of 1,889 dwellings were approved in Gozo. A dwelling is a residential unit, which means that a single permit could cover multiple dwellings such as in the case of apartment blocks. The 2022 figures released by the National Statistics Office on Tuesday, represent the highest number of approved dwellings since the pandemic. The number of new approved dwellings reached an all-time high of 12,885 in 2018, remain- ing steady at 12,485 in 2019. New dwellings dropped to 7,831 in 2020 and 7,578 in 2021, during the pandemic. In an indication that the pan- demic decline has been reversed the total number of dwellings ap- proved in 2022 is the fifth highest since 2000. Over the past five years the PA has issued permits for 50,302 new dwellings, or 28 new dwell- ings every single day. Statistics issued by the NSO show that during the last quar- ter of 2022, 357 building permits for a total of 2,064 new dwellings where issued bringing the total of the year to 9,523. When compared to the cor- responding quarter of 2021, the number of new dwellings approved in Malta and Gozo increased by 35% and 26.5% re- spectively. The highest number of approved new dwellings was registered in the South-East- ern district (515) while the low- est number was recorded in the Western district (210). The locality with the largest number of new dwellings ap- proved in the last quarter of 2022 was Marsaskala with 203 new dwellings. Significantly, the second high- est number of dwellings was ap- proved in Rabat, Gozo where 188 new dwellings were approved, slightly more than the 185 dwell- ings approved in St Paul's Bay. Statistics show that permits for new dwellings shot up from 3,970 in 2000 to peak at 11,343 in 2007. Subsequently, the number of permits declined to just 2,707 in 2013 before rising to 7,508 in 2016. The surge in approval of new dwellings between 2005 and 2007 coincided with a relaxation of building heights in urban areas. It also coincided with Malta gear- ing up for adoption of the single European currency, when more people started channelling their undeclared money into property development, fuelling a boom. The surge in permits after 2015 coincided with a relaxation in planning regulations through de- sign guidelines which effectively superseded height limitations enshrined in local plans, and higher rates of economic growth, which contrast with the econom- ic downturn between 2008 and 2013. Since 2000, the PA has is- sued 157,303 permits for new dwellings. Planning Authority approved 26 new dwellings a day in 2022, NSO figures show CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The undeveloped land situated in the Tal-Qortin area has been issued on tender for sale by the Lands Authority. The decision to sell the land seems to fly in the face of government's stated aim of greening urban areas. Botanist Jeffrey Sciberras told MaltaToday the site hosts at least three plants found only in Mal- ta and two indigenous species, which means they were present on the islands before humans ar- rived here. Sciberras was shocked to learn that the area is being sold for de- velopment instead of protected due to its rich vegetation. "The diverse vegetation has a crucial role to play in pollina- tion, apart from the importance garigue patches in urban are- as have in absorbing rainwater, which otherwise ends up flood- ing the roads," he said. The site hosts the endem- ic plants Euphorbia melitensis (Maltese spurge) which is pro- tected by law, Anthyllis herman- naie also known as the Maltese Shrubby Kidney Vetch and Fer- ula melitensis also known as the Maltese Giant Fennel. It also hosts the Brachypodium retusum, also known as the Med- iterranean False Brome, which is indigenous, and the Mediterra- nean thyme (Saghtar) which has been protected by law since 1932. After being alerted to the pres- ence of endemic and protected shrubs Nationalist MP Ivan Cas- tillo wrote to the Environment and Resources Authority and the planning ombudsman to have the tender investigated and de- termine whether the area can ac- tually be developed. A district MP, Castillo also asked for the suspension of the tender until these investigations are concluded. "It does not make sense to issue a tender for the disposal of this land before its ecological val- ue is assessed by ERA," Castillo told MaltaToday, noting that the tender is being issued before the presentation of a planning appli- cation to develop the site. "It would have made more sense had the Lands Authority consulted with ERA before issu- ing the tender," he said. Instead, ERA will end up being consulted after a planning appli- cation is submitted by the pro- spective developer. "What will happen if ERA ob- jects to the development during the planning process? And how can the Planning Authority re- fuse the development after the land is already leased to a devel- oper," he asked. Castillo is calling on the govern- ment to include this land, which falls within the development zone, in its Project Green plans. He has questioned why the gov- ernment wants to buy property from private owners to turn it into open green spaces and then chooses to put undeveloped land that belongs to the State up for sale. He acknowledged that a public park is being proposed on a near- by piece of land. "But why not protect both sites?" The area of about 5,000sq.m is up for grabs at the starting sum of €279,620, according to the tender issued by the Lands Authority. The land on Triq is-Sagħtar and Triq il-Miġbha will be given on a perpetual revisable emphyte- usis. The winning bidder will be able to redeem this emphyteusis within the first 15 years after a revision according to the rate of inflation as explained in the em- phyteutical conditions. The local plans approved in 2006 designate the area in ques- tion residential development, with a height limitation of three storeys and require that 30% of the area is retained as an open space. Commercial development in the area is limited to 500sq.m. Government selling undeveloped parcel of land housing endemic and indigenous plants