New Kamra tal-Periti president Andre Pizzuto had harsh words for the planning situation in Malta.

In an interview with Times of Malta, he conceded that the mere “undoing of mistakes” will already prove to be very expensive.

For too long, policies issued in the 1980s, coupled with the disastrous 2006 Local Plans and the construction glut of recent years, have ruined our towns and streetscapes while spilling over into ODZ and rural areas. The ‘novel’ fascination for high-rise buildings, most of which jar completely with their context and with the general Maltese landscape, has continued to exacerbate matters.

Besides these “mistakes”, Pizzuto paints a dour picture of the planning scenario, hinting at a lack of interest in reforms. Railing at the PA’s ineptitude at the planning side of its function, the KTP head’s concern that “we cannot continue living like this” is only the latest in a series of warnings from the architects.

While architects have often been accused of contributing to the mêlée, the KTP has publicly accepted its faults and is now one of the key players pushing for reform in both planning and construction sectors. Another group which has presented a comprehensive reform of these sectors is Moviment Graffitti, which in November published over 100 proposals aimed at the improvement of our quality of life.

The construction industry itself has made noises asking for reforms too, but this appears to have more to do with pandering for PR than a genuine interest in tackling the multiple issues with which it affects our society: from lack of enforcement to inexistent health and safety leading to deaths and injuries on construction sites, to issues of dust and noise pollution, as well as the volume of construction activities going on everywhere around us.

It is telling that two different groups with very different backgrounds – architects and activists – are openly asking for these reforms. Both insist on foolproof rules and benchmarks to, at least, mitigate the adverse impacts of a sector that contributes to our GDP but which has raised more than a hum of discontent among the general public, particularly in the last years.

The government has shown scant interest in both groups’ proposed reforms, opting instead to open consultations for the revision of local plans in some areas such as Marsa and Mrieħel, with both areas slated for a further relaxation of building heights.

What really needs to be renovated, without delay, are our planning and construction sectors

Although the revision of the fuel station policy back at the beginning of 2020 is a laudable step, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia has yet to stamp his authority on the planning scenario.

Policies such as SPED, DC2015  (intended to produce quality urban and architectural design) and the policy regulating building heights require an immediate revamp, with the elimination of loopholes and the introduction of standards to preserve not only what’s left of our townscapes, but also the quality of life of residents.

Farrugia may have set out on the right foot last year, and his taking over of the construction portfolio from Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg could represent a seal of approval from the prime minister.

The onus is on Farrugia. Will he, too, seek continuity with his predecessor in this sector, or will he embark on a serious and uncompromising reform of both planning and construction to spearhead the end of this decades-long mess?

In this regard, his wish to “renovate the construction lobby’s image” aired last week is not the best of auspices. What really needs to be renovated, without delay, are our planning and construction sectors.