Updated 7.40pm with Planning Ministry comment.
Development permits issued by the Planning Authority and due to expire by the end of 2024 have been quietly extended by three years, through a legal notice published last Friday.
Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi issued legal notice 263 of 2023, in terms of the Development Planning Act following consultation with the Planning Authority.
“Any development permit which on the date of coming into force of these regulations, is still within its period of validity but which is due to expire by, or on any date earlier to the 31st December 2024, shall have its period of validity extended by an additional three (3) years,” the legal notice states.
The last time the validity of development permits was extended, also by three years, was in March 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving property owners breathing room after most businesses were brought to a halt.
At the time the Planning Authority said it was taking this proactive measure to prevent permit holders from having to carry out significant works within a short period, once normality was restored.
The PA did not announce the latest extension. Zrinzo Azzopardi also made no mention of it during a post-budget press conference he held on Wednesday.
However after being questioned a spokesman for the Planning Ministry said it has been brought to the attention of the government that due to various challenges, namely disruptions in the supply chain and limited resources, various projects had not been completed within the five-year validity period of planning permits..
Sources told Times of Malta that the three-year extension was intended to help the developers who were negatively impacted by volatile international markets and supply disruptions of building materials in recent years.
They were keen to emphasise that only permits which are due to expire by December 31, 2024 will be getting a three-year extension.
MDA welcomes 'much-needed relief for permit holders'
The Malta Development Association in a statement welcomed the extension.
"This extension offers much-needed relief to permit holders, reducing the pressure to commence their projects hastily and eliminating the need for more third-country national persons to work in the construction sector, aligning with broader objectives of workforce management," it said.
It said it also appreciated the government's efforts to enforce stringent requirements for licensed contractors, promoting professionalism and ensuring timely, high-quality construction. Such measures were not only beneficial for the industry but also the public in general, it said.
Minister focuses on construction sector reform
While not mentioning the extension, the minister on Wednesday focused on reforms in the construction sector launched in the past few months, particularly the licensing of contractors.
He announced that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has already implemented or is implementing 70 of the 77 recommendations of the Quintano Report, which was compiled after the building collapse that killed Miriam Pace. Work still needs to start on the implementation of the remaining seven.
Zrinzo Azzopardi said that the financial allocation for the BCA will be raised by €2.1 million so that the authority can continue strengthening its operations. He mentioned, among other initiatives, that a strong investment will be made in the BCA's digital infrastructure to strengthen further the work of the authority which will also beef up its enforcement.
Regarding the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), the minister explained that this authority will have a bigger budget.