Malta’s local plans “don’t meet today’s realities”, Robert Abela told developers on Tuesday, admitting that the time may soon be ripe for local plans to be revised.

Abela had previously categorically ruled out a revision to Malta’s local plans, saying this would cause people to suffer injustices.

He recently softened his tone on the subject, telling Times of Malta last week that the discussion should move towards whether the country needs “a holistic review of the local plans for the entire country”.

Abela doubled down on Tuesday, telling Malta’s real estate magnates at a KPMG conference on the property market that while a revision to local plans would be controversial, the government “should not postpone or shy away from controversial decisions”.

“If you ask me whether the local plans from 18 years ago address today's reality, I would say no they don’t” he said.

‘Many families’ wouldn’t want rezoning of developable land: Abela

Abela stopped short of outlining what a revision of local plans would entail, saying that the nature of the revision “could be up for debate,” with different stakeholders likely to have opposing views.

But those hoping that a local plan would mean that swathes of previously developable land receive protection may be disappointed.

“There will be some who would argue that some properties that are now within the development zone should be taken out of the development zone. I believe that many developers and many families wouldn't agree with that view,” Abela said.

Abela also questioned whether the revision should take place across the country or whether it should staggered across certain types of property or geographical zones, citing the example of Marsa, where local plans were amended as part of the area’s regeneration plans.

Planning minister Clint Camilleri, also speaking at the event, was more reticent, steering clear of the subject altogether, instead pledging that Malta’s planning laws will give priority to projects that focus on quality of life.

Revision could include one-bedroom apartments and shared accommodation: PN

Unsurprisingly, given PN’s past calls to revise local plans, opposition planning spokesperson Stanley Zammit told conference delegates that a PN government would “undergo a holistic revision of the local plans”.

Zammit suggested that this could include revising plans to facilitate more one-bedroom apartments and a discussion on the concept of shared accommodation, two issues listed by industry stakeholders during the conference.

The need to revise local plans was first launched by Property Malta chair Sandro Chetcuti who, opening the conference, said that if the government wants to work towards its much vaunted vision for 2050, a revision of the local plans needs to be one of the first items on its agenda.

“It's impossible to plan for the future with plans that were drawn up years ago,” Chetcuti said, urging the government to undertake a “cautious” revision.