Controversial guidelines on building height limitations could soon be entrenched in Malta's local plans. 

The Planning Authority has opened a public consultation process to have those guidelines formalised.

Guidelines on overall building height limitations were first published in 2015, in a document titled Development Control Design Policy, Guidance and Standards - more commonly known as DC15.

Up until then, height limitations were specified in the number of floors a developer could build.

But the DC15 document included a table at its very end - annex 2 - which laid out, in metres, the maximum building height for buildings with basements, semi-basements or without any basement at all. 

Activists regularly slammed guidelines

Activists have over the years slammed the DC15 guidelines, arguing that they are being misused by developers seeking to squeeze more floors out of their projects, contrary to the spirit of the local plans they are meant to interpret.

The guidelines have been used to erect scores of new, taller, buildings since then.

The Planning Authority is now seeking to entrench those height limits in the country's seven local plans, which were drafted between 1995 and 2006.

Local plans set out planners' vision and plans for development within specific areas. As a rule, they supersede all other planning policies and documents. 

The PA says it wants to formalise the DC15 height limitations to add clarity and simplicity to planning law. 

"Since 2015, the conversion of diverse building height limitations from local plans required numerous interpretations by development management institutions, including Directorates, Boards/Commissions of the Planning Authority, the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT), and the Courts," the PA said.

"These interpretations were established through practice over the years but were never formally approved or published."

The PAs proposal for public consultation now reads: “To clarify the provisions of policy P35 of the DC15 in relation to the provisions entitled “Interpretation of building height limitations outside villa/bungalow areas” and specify the number of allowable levels for all the ranges of facade heights and overall heights in metres”.

'By no means amending permissible height' - PA

The PA insists this exercise is "by no means amending the permissible height as already established".

If the guidelines are formalised, a four-storey building, for instance, would be limited to a height of between 20 to 22 metres, depending on the location and whether it also has a basement or semi-basement.

A two-storey building would be limited to a height of between 11.40 and 13.50 metres - again depending on the location, and whether it has a basement and a receded third floor.

'Stark contrast to Ministry celebrations' - NGO

Gozo environmental NGO Għawdix was not happy about it.

In a statement on Monday it said the announcement "starkly contrasts with recent celebrations by the Ministry for Gozo and Planning regarding victories in preserving globigerina facades".

Last week the PA issued another circular for architects announcing a new requirement for all new buildings in Gozo to have limestone façades. It said that this was part of its effort to preserve, enhance and promote the unique spatial characteristics of Gozo, that make it distinct from mainland Malta.

Għawdix said the other circular - on overall building heights - trumps these values.

"It underscores a disregard for the primary concern: streetscape fragmentation due to pencil development, rendering arguments based on a net amount of floors obsolete and potentially exacerbating the issue by allowing for greater density within confined spaces," it said.

The PA said the proposed height limitations are not applicable in Urban Conversation Areas (UCAs) and Residential Priority Areas including villa/bungalow areas.

The conversion of building height limitations can be accessed here.

Comments and feedback about the plan are to be sent to consultation_dc15@pa.org.mt by March 11.