The Kamra tal-Periti (KTP) has called out the government for failing to address an “injustice” affecting permit holders who were not given extensions while others were.
Last year, the government issued a three-year blanket extension to all planning applications set to expire between November 10 and the end of this year.
The move took place amid supply chain disruptions in the sector and followed similar action in 2020 shortly after the first few COVID-19 cases were detected in Malta, when all permits set to expire between March 27 of that year and the end of 2022 were also given a blanket extension of three years.
But those caught in the middle, whose planning applications expired between the start of January and November 9 last year were not given extensions – something the KTP thinks is unfair and wants the government to address.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the association representing architects and civil engineers said that despite positive talks with the government on the topic, no progress had been made.
"The Kamra tal-Periti notes that despite a positive disposition during meetings, the government has so far failed to address the injustice that was caused for permit holders whose permits expired between 1st January 2023 and 9th November 2023,” it said.
The statement followed a previous communication from the association in August when it called on the government to “address the anomaly” which had left those permit holders without extensions.
When contacted, KTP president André Pizzuto said there had been “no logic” behind the range of dates affecting permits given extensions and said the November date last year had been chosen simply because it was when the legal notice had been published.
“It’s so silly the way they went about it, why not extend the permits for those caught in the middle too?” he said.
Stressing that most of the permits affected would likely be for individual projects such as residential extensions rather than “mega-developments”, Pizzuto said many homeowners would be forced to go through “unnecessary bureaucracy” reapplying for permits.
He added that with the cost of applying for a permit at around €2,000, the cost to the public of having to reapply for permits falling between the date ranges of those extended could amount to millions of euros.
Pizzuto said that despite the government telling the KTP last month it would address the situation, there had been no contact since then.
“They said they would fix it, but we still haven’t heard anything – why the delay?” he said.
The first round of planning application extensions announced in March 2020 was seen as a measure to provide the construction sector with breathing room during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected commercial activity across the country.
And while the similar move last year was quietly ushered in with no formal announcement, when questioned, a Planning Ministry spokesperson later said the measure had been taken to help the sector deal with resource and supply chain challenges, which had meant that some projects had been unable to be completed within the five-year validity period.
When contacted, the Planning Ministry confirmed it was "in discussions" with the KTP, but did not repond to questions asking whether it would provide permit extensions for those affected or whether, if extensions were given, the government would compensate those who had been forced to reapply in the meantime.