Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1532462
JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 11 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 FEBRUARY 2025 THE Planning Authority is poised to issue an "outline per- mit" for the demolition of Vil- la Xemx and Villa Delimara in Marsaxlokk to make way for the construction of 10 new semi-de- tached villas. The two existing villas are be- lieved to date back to pre-1968 with the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage characteris- ing them as being of "cultural heritage and architectural in- terest." The villas are located on Triq il-Patrijiet Terezjani, a quaint road connecting the Madonna Tas-Silg chapel and the junction leading to the fishing village. Although the heritage watch- dog has not raised objections to the application, it has request- ed a more comprehensive ex- ternal photographic survey of the villas before carrying out a detailed assessment. It has also warned that, due to the high archaeological sensitivity of the site, ground disturbance in this area could uncover cultural her- itage features that may require amendments to the proposed plans. In response to the Superin- tendence, the project's archi- tect argued that the application seeks approval in principle for the proposed concept, with ad- ditional details to be submitted in the full development permit application. While recommending the ap- proval of the redevelopment in principle, the case officer noted that demolishing the existing villas would be considered a "re- served matter" to be reviewed when a full development appli- cation is submitted. This means that the Planning Authority will still have some flexibility in de- termining the treatment of the two villas when issuing its final permit. The proposal also involves the removal of olive and palm trees, which the Environment and Re- sources Authority has request- ed be relocated to another site rather than being uprooted. Built before 1968, the two vil- las closely resemble the archi- tectural style of those along the Ta' Xbiex promenade. Howev- er, the area has already seen the construction of more modern, less distinctive villas on the op- posite side of the road. The "outline" application pre- sented by landowner Jean Vella seeks to establish the planning parameters for the site before a full application is submitted at a later stage. As proposed, each of the ten new villas will occupy a site ar- ea of approximately 350 to 400 square metres, with a built-up footprint of around 150 to 160 square metres per villa. This suggests a site coverage of ap- proximately 50%. The villas are entirely located within the development zone. The local plan designates this area of Tas-Silg for the devel- opment of semi-detached villas with a site coverage of between 40% and 50%, as opposed to the previous limit of 30%. This change was justified by "the need to use land more efficient- ly." PA set to approve demolition of Marsaxlokk villas to make way for new semi-detached homes The villas, considered to be of "cultural heritage and architectural interest" by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, are surrounded by extensive greenery Minimum wage: Lithuania and Croatia surpass Malta in 2025 MALTA'S minimum wage has risen by 3.9% in 2025, from €925 to €961 per month. However, a recent analysis by the European Foundation for the Improve- ment of Living and Working Conditions has revealed that Malta is slipping down the rankings. Having already been overtak- en by Poland in 2024, Malta has now been surpassed by both Lithuania and Croatia. Eurofound data showed that Croatia's minimum wage in- creased sharply by 15.5%, rising from €840 in 2024 to €970 in 2025, overtaking Malta. Lith- uania also saw a rise, with its minimum wage climbing from €924 to €1,038, surpassing Mal- ta as well. Poland, which had al- ready overtaken Malta in 2024, increased its minimum wage by 11.7%, from €978 to €1,091 in 2025, further widening the gap between the two countries. However, these increases do not account for state-provid- ed benefits aimed at boosting minimum incomes. In Malta, this included significant in- work benefits and an additional annual Cost of Living Adjust- ment (COLA) increase, which amounted to up to €1,500. Trends across the EU Romania saw the highest per- centage increase among EU member states, with a 22.8% rise, pushing its minimum wage from €663 to €814. Lithuania also posted a double-digit in- crease of 12.3%, bringing its minimum wage up to €1,038. In contrast, countries with traditionally higher wages, such as Luxembourg, the Nether- lands, and Ireland, recorded more modest increases. Lux- embourg's minimum wage in- creased by 2.6% to reach €2,638, maintaining its position as the highest in the EU. The Nether- lands saw a 6.0% rise to €2,193, while Ireland's wage level in- creased by 6.3% to €2,282. Malta's position in the EU wage landscape Despite the increase, Malta re- mains among the lower-ranked countries in the EU in terms of minimum wages. The country is now close- ly aligned with Greece (€968) and Portugal (€1,015), while Cyprus has maintained a stable rate of €1,000, unchanged from the previous year. Meanwhile, countries like Slovenia (€1,384) and Spain (€1,381) continue to maintain a significant lead over Malta. The overall trend across the EU shows that while most countries have increased their minimum wages, the pace of change varies significantly. In some cases, such as in Po- land and Croatia, the increases have been substantial enough to shift their position in the rankings. Meanwhile, coun- tries such as Germany, France, and Belgium have recorded more moderate increases in the range of 2% to 4.4%. Malta's lower inflation rate Inflation continues to play a role in wage adjustments, with the annual inflation rate in sev- eral EU countries influencing decisions on minimum wage hikes. For example, Estonia and Czechia both implemented in- creases of 8% or more to keep pace with inflation. In contrast, Malta's 3.9% increase aligns with its relatively moderate in- flation rate of 1.8%, which is lower than that in all EU coun- tries except Luxembourg. One major reason for this is the Mal- tese government's decision to subsidise energy costs, which is a major trigger of inflation in other countries.