Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545966
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 JULY 2026 NEWS Building mad: 12,325 new dwellings approved in 2025 APPROVED residential units reached 12,325 in 2025, the third-highest annual total ever, while approvals on ODZ land more than doubled to a record 226 units. The figures published by the Planning Authority show that new dwelling units in 2025 marked a 41% increase over units approved the previous year, signalling a sharp resurgence in residential development. The 2025 record is only surpassed by the peak con- struction years of 2018 and 2019. The latest statistics also reveal that residential development over the past decade has accelerat- ed dramatically compared with the previous one. Between 2016 and 2025, the authority approved 96,194 dwelling units—more than double the 43,912 units approved between 2007 and 2015. Between 2007 and 2015, the Planning Authority approved an average of about 4,900 homes a year. Between 2016 and 2025, that average rose to more than 9,600 homes annually. ODZ units and greenfield sites One of the most striking trends in the 2025 data is the sharp in- crease in approvals outside de- velopment zones (ODZ). The authority approved 226 new dwelling units in ODZ areas, more than double the 104 ap- proved in 2024 and the highest annual figure recorded since at least 2007. Most of these applications involve the redevelopment of farmhouses or the conversion of older buildings, permitted by the rural policy. Although ODZ approvals still accounted for only 1.8% of all approved dwellings in 2025, the increase marks a notable departure from previous years. By comparison, ODZ approvals represented 1.2% of the total in 2024 and had fallen as low as 0.1% in 2011. Development on previously undeveloped greenfield land— land in development zones which was not previously de- veloped—also increased. A to- tal of 2,703 dwelling units were approved on greenfield sites in 2025, up from 1,649 the year before. Greenfield projects account- ed for 21.9% of all approved dwellings, while the remaining 78.1%—or 9,622 units—were located on brownfield sites through redevelopment, re- placement or conversion of ex- isting buildings. Despite the increase, the pro- portion of development on greenfield land remains well below the levels recorded in the early 2010s, when it peaked at 36.2% of annual approvals in 2012. The figures also show a record year for dwelling conversions. The authority approved 2,781 converted residential units in 2025, the highest number re- corded in the 19-year dataset. Apartments and penthous- es continued to dominate new residential development, ac- counting for 10,745 approved units. Maisonettes totalled 1,076 approvals, while only 350 ter- raced houses were approved, confirming the continuing shift towards higher-density resi- dential development. Reporting by James Debono Home approvals jump 41% in 2025 to reach third-highest annual total ever recorded • Record 226 dwellings approved in ODZ • Last decade saw 96,000 dwellings approved The 2025 record is only surpassed by the peak construction years of 2018 and 2019 CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Asked whether the Opposi- tion's walk-out reeked of past behaviour whenever progres- sive legislation was presented in parliament, Borg insisted the more consultation was re- quired and by walking out, the Opposition gave the govern- ment the opportunity to go back to the drawing board. "In principle we are in fa- vour… But at the end of the day, we have to understand that the organisations, which will be mostly impacted by the commission's work, were not consulted… these are not just conservative organisa- tions; some are conservative, others are liberal, others have no political inclination… We now have the opportunity to go back to the drawing board, discuss it and see how we can make it better and when we have a law that carries with it widespread consensus, we will vote in favour," Borg told Mal- taToday. He said the PN will not allow the government to steamroll over the Opposition. Asked whether this meant seeing a more aggressive Alex Borg and Opposition—on the same day of the walk-out, a motion of no confidence in Energy Min- ister Miriam Dalli was tabled over the power outages—Borg insisted he will always seek bal- ance but the Opposition had to be effective in keeping the gov- ernment in check. "It's not my style to ask for people's heads to roll but the decision to put forward a mo- tion of no confidence in the minister was the result of sev- eral warnings we gave; warn- ings that were made in a Na- tional Audit Office report... Ultimately, political responsi- bility has to be shouldered. An apology does not suffice," Borg said, adding that the Labour government has been in of- fice since 2013 and can hardly blame anyone but itself for the failures. Alex Borg insists government will not steamroll over Opposition PN Leader Alex Borg (Photo: Daniel Tihn/MaltaToday)