Sale of farmland for recreational purposes is increasing pressure on ODZ

The parcelling of agricultural land to be used for recreational purposes is increasing pressure on areas outside the development zone, the Planning Authority said.

The observation was made in the PA’s annual report tabled in parliament last week.

The refers to a “noticeable increase in the subdivision of agricultural land, which is linked to the exorbitant increase in rural land purchases for recreational purposes”.

According to the PA’s  Development Management Directorate (DMD) this  increase has “put pressure” on the Directorate “to ensure that rigorous assessment standards are maintained” apart from “diluting” the notion of what development is “necessary outside the development zone” .

The annual report does not refer to the reform of the PA’s rural policy which has been pending for the past six years and which is blamed for facilitating the sale of agricultural land for leisure purposes, with many landowners presenting applications to build a “store” and surrounding their land with a rubble wall.

An  Agricultural Policy for the Maltese Islands published in 2018 had already warned that the  Planning Authority’s rural policy guidelines for ODZ development approved in 2014 are “increasing the fragmentation of agricultural land” and “facilitating the speculation of ODZ land.”

But a proposed reform of the rural policy has been pending for the past four years even if a draft policy with stricter criteria was issued for public consultation in 2020.

As proposed the  policy would ban the development of stores on holdings of less than 10 tumoli.

Moreover, in an apparent recognition of the problem a recent White Paper issued for public consultation by the Agriculture Ministry, the government has proposed a tax on agricultural land “that requires to be cultivated and which is not being used for agricultural purposes”.

It also seeks to create a legal distinction between active farmers, hobby farmers, and newcomers entering or attempting to enter the sector. This will help ensure that agricultural land is managed and owned by genuine farmers.

The White Paper had warned that in the absence of such a system, “there is the risk of abuse of benefits that should be only reserved for those seriously engaged and committed to the agricultural sector”.