Robert Abela pledges planning appeal reform within first 100 days
The proposal to stop construction works when a planning permit is under appeal was first announced in 2023 but never took off
Updated 3.54pm
Robert Abela pledged to introduce legislation that would block developments when under appeal during his first 100 days in government.
The prime minister is fresh off a new mandate after the Labour Party won an unprecedented fourth consecutive term in government at the end of last month.
The party’s manifesto includes a pledge on planning appeals that says:
“Our priority in the field of planning is to have a fair and predictable process for everyone. In the first months of the legislature, we will begin the legislative process so that no new development or construction may commence while the permit is still subject to appeal proceedings.”
Speaking to Times of Malta as he left the Labour Party's first parliamentary group meeting on Thursday morning, Abela said the measure “will be implemented in the first 100 days”.
The proposal to stop construction works when a planning permit is under appeal was first announced by former planning minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi in 2023.
Those plans, however, never took off and were only brought up again as part of the wider and controversial planning reforms published in Bills 143 and 144 last year.
A summer of protests against the bills by NGOs last year led the government to suspend its legislative plans to overhaul the planning system.
The reforms, among other things, gave the Planning Authority the power to depart from policies such as the local plans if it deemed it fit.
During the electoral campaign, Abela pledged that he would only revisit overhauling the system with consensus from NGOs.
The parliamentary group also outlined the government’s priorities for its first three months.
Among the legislative changes in the government’s first months will be reforming IVF laws to give “more couples the chance to be parents”.
'Worrying'
NGO Il-Kollettiv said it was "worrying" that the prime minister was promising another planning reform within 100 days of the election, after Bills 143 and 144 were ushered in during the summer.
A spokesperson for the civil society group also said other reforms could "further erode" protection of ODZ areas.
"We are also hearing talk about reform of the Local Plans as well as the proposed Sports Commercialisation Policy which will further seek to erode the protection of ODZ areas and increase commercial activity," Il-Kollettiv said.
The NGO said the government was well aware of public frustration over construction, traffic and overpopulation, and argued that the key question was whether it would continue to prioritise the interests of the development lobby or give residents respite from the building boom.
Il-Kollettiv added it was "open to dialogue" with the government while reiterating its "lack of confidence in Planning Authority CEO Johann Buttigieg and the other author of the two Bills Robert Musumeci".