Building permit trends show shift in land use preferences

The number of permits granted for the construction of apartments increased by 70 per cent over two years, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority said.

Mepa statistics published yesterday show a definite shift towards the building of apartments. A total of 4,548 apartments were granted planning permission in 2003 - 74 per cent of permits for dwellings - up from 2,657 in 2001 and 3,420 in 2002.

Maisonettes make up a further 18 per cent while terraced houses, bungalows and villas together accounted for a mere eight per cent of the developments approved.

"This clearly indicates that people are increasingly choosing to build more than one unit on a plot of land. Such a choice reflects changes in the way we are looking at land use and implies also changes in social and economic parameters," Chris Borg, Mepa's director of planning, said.

The number of permits for dwellings granted in 2003 reached 6,128 units, an increase of 12 per cent over the previous year. Mepa noted that most of the new units are being developed through conversion and development in existing built-up areas rather than on virgin land, resulting in a more concentrated use of space.

The number of dwellings converted from other uses is also on the rise. In addition, converted and redeveloped units now total nearly half of all granted permits.

Mepa director general Godwin Cassar said: "This indicates that Mepa's decade-long policies to constrain sprawl and shift building development onto exiting built-up areas is showing excellent results".