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MW 21 March 2018

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maltatoday WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2018 News 6 JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority's ru- ral policy guidelines for ODZ development approved in 2014 are "increasing the fragmenta- tion of agricultural land" and "facilitating the speculation of ODZ land." This claim is being made in the Agricultural Policy for the Maltese Islands 2018-2028 which is intended to provide a "clear direction" to public entities involved in certifica- tion, permitting and decision- making. While existing planning pol- icies are encouraging specu- lation, the same policies are demotivating genuine farm- ers who want to invest in their holdings, the policy states. Land speculation is being encouraged through policies which facilitate "the recon- struction of derelict buildings for residential purposes" and by "the change of use of aban- doned farms and land" into residences. The rural policy guidelines made it possible for landown- ers to reconstruct any ruin of any structure built before 1978. It also facilitated the change of use to residences in cases where proof of past habitation was presented. The policy also makes it easier to convert abandoned livestock farms into villas. But farmers participating in the consultation on the new policy, also consider the PA's rural policy as one hindering the growth of the sector. "The rural policy is one of the major issues cited by farm- ers as being demotivating to reach their goals". Farmers claimed that while the Rural Policy Guidelines is- sued in 2014 caters for various forms of agricultural develop- ments it seldom addresses "the genuine needs of farmers who aim at operating in an efficient and effective manner". Since the approval of the pol- icy applications for agricultur- al stores have shot up from just 34 applications in 2014 to 224 in 2017. These applications are regularly vetted by the Agri- cultural Advisory Commit- tee to ensure that these fulfill genuine agricultural needs. The footprint allocation for each store depends on the amount of farmland regis- tered on the applicant's name. This penalizes prospective young farmers who do not have access to land or have no land ownership status. Farmers who participated in the consultation want larger stores, lamenting that the footprints allowed are not adequate for active farmers utilising modern machinery. This discourages investment in modernisation thus limit- ing access to EU funds. Al- ternatively costly equipment ends up stored in dilapidated structures or is left outside to the mercy of natural elements. According to the new policy on agriculture planning poli- cies should encourage entre- preneurs to invest in innova- tive rural projects from which the farming community stands to benefit. The policy singles out hydro- ponics, aquaponics, vermic- ulture, insect protein farms and snail farming as sectors which should be encouraged. These sectors "should not be obstructed" simply because of the risk that applications are sometimes submitted with "the intent to bypass the poli- cy in order to gain structures for recreational purposes". To curtail abuses the poli- cy proposes that applicants should present business plans and operational plans. Small-scale on-farm facilities in a rural context should also be linked with a considerable amount of produce that makes the development justifiable such as for a cluster of farm- ers or an extended family farm unit. A case by case evaluation "that is not rigid with the needs of the agricultural sec- tor" is recommended. Concurrently there is a "need to address pressures for spec- ulative development in the countryside, mainly by adopt- ing the benchmarking system for active farmers," and clear guidelines on "the genuine need for certain types of agri- cultural structures." jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Planning policies encouraging speculation on agricultural land speculation on agricultural land JAMES DEBONO ANALYSIS Land speculation is being encouraged through policies which facilitate "the reconstruction of derelict buildings for residential purposes" Agricultural store approved in Zebbug in 2015

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