Numru ta’ gruppi tar-residenti jippreżentaw it-talbiet tagħhom f’ittra lill-PM u l-Ministru tal-Ippjanar fir-rigward tar-riforma fl-ippjanar. Scroll down for EN version.

1. Moratorja immedjata fuq iż-żoni ta’ rationalisation delinjati fl-2006. Applikazzjonijiet pendenti għal rezoning madwar Malta u Għawdex għandhom jiġu ffriżati sakemm ma jiġix studjat il-bżonn li dawn iż-żoni jinfetħu għall-iżvilupp. Dan il-proċess għandu jinvolvi u jikseb l-approvazzjoni lill-għaqdiet tar-residenti u l-għaqdiet settorjali impenjati f’oqsma ta’ interess bħall-biedja, il-konservazzjoni tal-wirt naturali u storiku, il-kwalità tal-arja, l-aċċessibbiltà għal kulħadd u t-trasport alternattiv, kif ukoll tal-entitajiet tal-Gvern responsabbli għal dawn l-oqsma;

2. Ir-rifjut immedjat ta' Planning Control (PC) applications għal toroq/cul-de-sac(s) ġodda maħsuba sabiex jagħtu aċċess għal art imdawra bil-bini, b'tali mod li pulmuni ħodor fil-qalba ta' żoni urbani qed jingħataw għall-bini ta' blokok ta' appartamenti ta' ħames sulari jew aktar;

3. Is-sospensjoni ta’ applikazzjonijiet għal proġetti kbar inklużi jew le fil-Local Plans, fosthom yacht marinas, bini għoli, proġetti ta’ riklamazzjoni tal-art, żoni mmarkati għall-ftuħ ta’ toroq ġodda, kumplessi sportivi, djar tal-anzjani, skejjel, ambaxxati, proġetti infrastrutturali kbar, u oħrajn. Il-ħtieġa għal dawn il-proġetti u l-allokazzjoni ta’ artijiet għalihom għandha tiġi studjata mill-ġdid f’konformità mar-realtajiet tal-lum;

4. Is-sospensjoni immedjata tar-riforma tad-DC15 proposta mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fi Frar 2024. Din tipprevedi żieda fil-kostruzzjoni permezz ta’ mekkaniżmu fejn il-metri, mhux is-sulari, jiddeterminaw l-għoli tal-bini. L-impatt ta’ dan se jkun pressjoni żejda fuq l-infrastruttura li ma kinitx maħsuba għaż-żieda qawwija fid-densità tal-popolazzjoni tagħna, in-nuqqas ta' parekeġġi u aktar traffiku, u servizzi ma jlaħħqux mad-domanda, bħall-pereżempju dik tal-elettriku. Din l-intensifikazzjoni tal-kostruzzjoni f’bosta żoni ta’ Malta se żżid il-pressjoni fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti;

5. Riforma tad-DC15 li tinħadem mal-gruppi tar-residenti u settorjali, bl-għan li jiġu eliminati l-anomaliji u l-kontradizzjonijiet maħluqa minn partijiet u annessi ta’ din il-policy;

6. Il-bordijiet tal-awtoritajiet tal-Ippjanar u għar-riżorsi ambjentali għandhom jiġu responsabbilizzati individwalment għad-deċiżjonijiet li jieħdu fl-interpretazzjoni tal-liġijiet u l-policies tal-Ippjanar, b’mod speċjali meta jiksru dispożizzjonijiet tal-Att dwar l-Ippjanar u dawk li jinsabu fil-Local Plans innifishom;

7. Ir-rispett u implimentazzjoni ferm aktar riġida taċ-Ċirkulari PA3/2000 b'rispett sħiħ lejn il-buffer zones li ġew iffurmati madwar bini u siti skedati.  L-Awtorita' ta' l-Ippjanar għandha tkompli b'mod immedjat il-proċess ta' skedar ta' binjiet u siti storiċi fl-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna, bi skadenza ċara sabiex dawn il-proprjetajiet jiġu skedati kollha;

8. Ir-reviżjoni u l-implimentazzjoni, b'mod rigoruż, tal-buffer zones li ġew identifikati mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fir-reviżjoni tal-Pjanijiet Lokali li saru bejn 2013 u l-2015. Għandhom awtomatikament jiġu rifjutati applikazzjonijiet għal bini għoli li mhuwiex estetikament xieraq jew ta’ massa mhux kompatibbli mal-viċinati f’UCA;

9. It-tneħħija ta’ kwalunkwe policy li tippermetti l-bini ġdid f’ODZ u s-sanzjonar tal-illegalitajiet f’dawn iż-żoni;

10. Jiġi ppubblikat b'mod immedjat l-Urban Capacity Study li tlesta mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fl-2022, kif irrapportat fir-Rapport Annwali tagħha tal-2023;

11. Tiġi ippubblikata u maħruġa għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika l-iSPED riveduta u li tlestiet mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fl-2022, kif irreferenzjat fir-Rapport Annwali tagħha tal-2023. Id-dokument finali għandu jiġi approvat u jibda jiġi implimentat mhux aktar minn sitt xhur wara li tagħlaq il-konsultazzjoni pubblika. Għandu jsir moratorju fuq kull applikazzjoni ġdida li tidħol sa ma jingħalaq il-proċess bl-approvazzjoni;

12. Għandhom jiġu kkummissjonati studji fuq il-miżuri li għandhom jittieħdu sabiex jittaffew l-effetti tal-għoli tal-livelli tal-baħar fl-irħula tal-kosta, fejn għandhom jiġu implimentati miżuri sostenibbli u fit-tul li jippreżervaw il-karatteristiki ta’ dawn l-irħula u jipproteġu l-ekosistemi tal-baħar. Għandhom jitwaqqfu l-iżviluppi ġodda f’żoni li jinsabu fil-livell tal-baħar, bl-għan li jitnaqqas in-numru tal-persuni li jintlaqtu mill-effetti tat-tibdil fil-klima;

13. Għal kull tibdil fi Pjan Strateġiku, Pjan Lokali, Gwida Supplementari, Development Brief, Pjan t’Azzjoni, Pjan ta’ mmaniġjar, Subject Plan, policy u jew interpretazzjoni ta’ xi ħaġa msemmija hawn fuq, għandu jsir moratorju fuq l-applikazzjonijiet li jistgħu jiġu milquta minn dak it-tibdil immedjatament malli jiġi mħabbar tal-proċess ta’ riforma. Il-moratorju jitneħħa hekk kif il-proċess ikun mitmum u l-bidla tidħol fis-seħħ.

EN Version

A number of resident groups presented their demands for a planning reform in a letter to the Prime Minister and Minister for Planning. These are the 13 demands presented by the groups:

1. An immediate moratorium on rationalisation zones identified in 2006. Any pending rezoning applications around Malta and Gozo are to be frozen until the studies are carried out to determine whether there’s the need for these areas to be open to development. This process should involve and receive the approval of resident associations and sectoral groups involved in areas of interest such as farming, the conservation of our natural and historical heritage, accessibility for all, alternative transport, as well as the government entities responsible for them.

2. An immediate refusal of Planning Control applications for new roads/cul-de-sac(s) which intend to open up access to pockets of virgin land surrounded by existing buildings, in a way that green lungs in urban zones are being taken up by the construction of apartment blocks of five or more storeys;

3. The suspension of applications for large projects – whether they are included in Local Plans or not – including yach marinas, tall buildings, land reclamation projects, zones marked for the opening of new roads, sports complexes, retirement homes, schools, embassies, large infrastructural projects and others. The need for these projects and the land allocated to them must be studied in line with today’s realities;

4. The immediate suspension of the reform of the DC15 policy proposed by the Planning Authority in February 2024. This provides for an increase in construction activity through a mechanism whereby the height of buildings is regulated in metres, not storeys. This will put additional pressure on infrastructure which never foresaw the huge increase in population density, the lack of parking and more traffic, and services that are unable to cope with demand – such as the supply of electricity. This intensification in construction in various zones in Malta will further impact the quality of life of residents;

5. A reform of the DC15 policy, carried out in conjunction with resident and sectoral groups, with the aim of eliminating the anomalies and contradictions created by parts and annexes of this policy;

6. The boards of the planning and environmental resources Authorities should be made individually responsible for the decisions they take when interpreting planning laws and policies, especially when these breach the provisions of the Planning Act and those contained within the Local Plans;

7. The respect and implementation, in a much more rigid manner, of Circular PA3/2000 with respect to the buffer zones which have been created around scheduled buildings and sites. The Planning Authority is to immediately resume its process of scheduling historical buildings and sites in our towns and villages, with a clear deadline for the scheduling of all these properties.

8. The revision and implementation, in a rigorous manner, of the UCA buffer zones identified by the Planning Authority in its revision of the Local Plans carried out between 2013 and 2015. Any applications for tall buildings which are incompatible with the UCA surroundings in terms of aesthetics and mass, are to be refused automatically.

9. The withdrawal of any policy allowing new buildings in ODZ and the sanctioning of illegalities in these areas.

10. The immediate publication of an Urban Capacity Study prepared by the Planning Authority in 2022, as referenced in its Annual Report for 2023.

11. The publication and issue for public consultation of a revised SPED policy, completed by the Planning Authority in 2022, as referenced in its Annual Report for 2023. The final document should be approved and implemented not later than six months from the end of the public consultation. There should be a moratorium on every new application until the process is concluded with the approval of the policy.

12. The commissioning of studies on the measures to be taken to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels in coastal towns, where sustainable, long-term measures are to be employed in the preservation of these towns’ characteristics whilst protecting marine ecosystems. New developments at sea level should be stopped, with the aim of reducing the number of people affected by the effects of climate change.

13. For any amendment to the Strategic Plan, the Local Plans, the Supplementary Guides, the Development Briefs, Action Plans, Management Plans, Subject Plans, policies or the interpretation of any of the above, there should be a moratorium on applications affected by any of these amendments. This moratorium should apply immediately from the date of the consultation announcement, and should be removed once the process is completed and the amendments come in force.

Awturi/Authors

Għaqda Residenti taż-Żurrieq
Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa
L-Għaqda Storika u Kulturali Marsa
Residenti tal-Imqabba
Residenti tal-Qrendi
Residenti ta’ Ħal Safi
Residenti tas-Swatar
Sliema Residents Association
Siġġiwin Nieħdu Azzjoni
Marsaskala Residents Network
Wirt iż-Żejtun
Il-Kollettiv