MEPA considers extending heights for homes for the elderly

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has been requested by the government to consider a “building height relaxation policy” for retirement homes to encourage private investment in this sector.

Effectively this means an increase in permitted height for residential homes.

Currently homes for the elderly have to abide to the height limitations set in local plans.  

The new policy is set to allow residential homes for the elderly to add an additional two floors over and above the number of floors allowed in the local plan.  

The new rules will only apply to buildings located outside urban conservation areas and within development zones. 

MEPA has asked the public to send its comments on this new policy by 14 April.

Since being elected the new government has embarked on deregulating building height regulations first by extending a relaxation of hotel height limitations from those in tourist areas as envisaged by the previous government to all hotels within development zones and then by approving a policy permitting over 10 storey buildings in a number of localities.  

The government is also considering design guidelines, which allow higher buildings on street corners and to fill gaps in between buildings which already exceed the height limitation of the locality.

The cumulative effect of these policies is expected to intensify development in residential zones commenced by the relaxation of building heights in 2006 when three-storey development was permitted in many areas where previously only two-storey development was allowed.

This onslaught has increased property values but has taken its toll on residents’ quality of life and on the townscape.

It remains to be seen whether the new policy will exclude the development of residential homes in ODZ areas as is being currently proposed in Santa Lucija. The Prime Minister recently declared that the government’s policy favouring high rises is aimed at restricting development in ODZ areas.