The Planning Authority was set up in 1992, and a Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands was approved by parliament that same year. At the time, Malta desperately needed a regulatory framework that was distant from the minister in charge of public works.
There was no formally approved policy guidance that the board appointed by the minister to evaluate development applications could refer to. As a result, there were several decisions that were generally considered to be dubious, and which raised questions about politicians’ involvement.
Since then, Malta has changed a great deal, perhaps too rapidly.
The current Development Planning Act was published in 2016 with commendable goals, such as the statement that “it shall be the duty of the government to enhance the quality of life for the benefit of the present and future generations… through a comprehensive and sustainable land use planning system”.
It is now clear, however, that the policies drafted under the Act are not fit for purpose, and that a reform is now desperately needed. Enhancement of the quality of life is hardly reflected in the current products of the planning system.
Policies should be made to respect the individual physical and natural context of development areas, whose social, environmental, and economic needs and opportunities vary from locality to locality and cannot be served by a ‘one size fits all’ attitude.
We need to create a real Planning Authority. We need intelligent planners to design the country’s future. We need to construct buildings, and more importantly, the spaces or ‘outdoor rooms’ around them, that have a meaning and a purpose, that will remain as familiar and cherished elements of our, and of our descendants’ daily life.
We need buildings that respect and enhance the environment, and we need planning policies that place people first and not vehicles.
We need buildings that respect and enhance the environment- Noel Muscat
I admit that development cannot stop, but we must certainly slow down the rhythm so as to take stock of the situation and adjust where necessary. Attention must be given to a locality’s accessibility, open spaces, recreational and sports facilities, commercial centres, tourist attractions, and so forth. A balance needs to be maintained with all the factors mentioned above.
The characteristics of certain towns and villages must be preserved, restored and upgraded. Applications that threaten the environment and the country’s heritage must be thrown out of the window outright. Architects and lawyers who try to snake through policies and convince weak planning boards to interpret them in an upside down manner should be censored.
Strong and determined decisions need to be taken to defend what remains of, and to improve the environment around us.
Certain localities are now overdeveloped and overpopulated. Some have become anonymous, and they have no characteristics whatsoever. They are hardly functional.
We cannot keep on increasing the population blindly without considering the carrying capacity of each locality. Malta is at a dangerous crossroads. Too much harm has already been done. We must stop the rot and plan a better and healthier future, with special attention given to the environment. We must stop Malta’s uglification and design a better country.
I am convinced that with the right will and determination this can be achieved. It must be achieved.
Noel Muscat is the mayor of Swieqi.