People living next door to construction sites will be able to carry out an independent review into the safety of the works with the bill being footed by the developer.

A legal notice published on Tuesday capped the maximum refundable amount at €500.

The law, originally proposed by the Malta Developers Association (MDA), will come into force within the next two months.

It will allow residents to engage an architect of their choice to review the condition reports and method statements that were presented by the developer.

From now on, developers will have to deposit a €500 bank guarantee with the Building and Construction Authority to cover the potential costs of such a review.

In a statement, the MDA expressed its “pride” in the government taking on the proposal.

“Once again, the MDA successfully proves to be the main catalyst in introducing an important measure to safeguard the interest of residents neighbouring construction sites,” the statement said.

Prior to the new law, the MDA said residents adjacent to construction sites were bound to endure the worries and incur expenses from their own pockets in hiring professionals to address the risks involved and ensure their safety.

The MDA said it felt the need to lobby in the interest of these residents, who struggle to afford these extra costs.

According to the MDA, some of its members had already started to implement the initiative voluntarily.

The government promised a wide-ranging reform to the construction sector following a spate of building collapses in 2019 and 2020.

In July, an architect was sentenced to community service after being found guilty of causing Miriam Pace’s death during the March 2020 collapse of her home.

Critics have said the government’s reforms, which include a new centralised authority, contain loopholes and do not go far enough.