Chamber proposes point system at the Planning Authority

The lobby group’s proposal would require applications to obtain a minimum pass mark before being processed further

The Chamber advocated for a national architecture policy that incorporates aesthetics and landscape
The Chamber advocated for a national architecture policy that incorporates aesthetics and landscape

The Malta Chamber of Commerce proposed a point system at the Planning Authority, which would require applications to obtain a minimum pass mark before being processed further.

The proposal forms part of recommendations for the 2023 budget.

The Chamber advocated for a national architecture policy that incorporates aesthetics and landscape, to incentivise good spatial planning in Malta.

It said that the policy should include support for aesthetically qualitative and sustainable projects and a set of minimum standards for all new buildings.

“Steer away from the piecemeal speculative market of pencil developments and promote qualitative larger scale lifestyle developments addressed in a holistic urban context,” the Chamber said.

It also proposed that a carrying capacity study of Malta’s land environment is undertaken, that takes into account the built and natural environment.

For the regeneration of Malta’s urban areas, the Chamber promoted tailormade fiscal incentives for private owners of scheduled properties, going beyond the current limits of “Irrestawra Darek”.

It advocated for minimum energy performance criteria for buildings to be rented or sold but also for renovation schemes that target less efficient buildings with the potential to achieve a good energy efficiency rating.

The Chamber also said that compliance certificates should be replaced by a building logbook that reflects the structural and fabric history of the building.

Mandatory garbage rooms for new apartment blocks

The Chamber warned that the significant amounts of money earmarked by the government for waste management risk were not having the intended effects.

As a solution, it proposed private waste facilities, saying the material recycling facility should be entirely owned by the private industry or at least owned by the government and operated privately.

It added that in order to improve waste management, garbage collection solutions should be mandatory for all new developments of multiple units, such as dedicated garbage rooms.

“This should be a requirement across the board for all new applications with the dimensions of garbage rooms relative to the size of building.”

The Chamber also suggested the introduction of a garbage bag barcode system to regularise householders who do not sort their garbage correctly.

It stated that the Beverage Container Refund Scheme should be implemented immediately and that materials earmarked for export should be first offered to local manufacturers.

“Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is considered the heaviest and most voluminous waste stream generated in the Maltese Islands, amounting to over 1.5 million tonnes of waste generated annually,” the Chamber said.

As a solution, it proposed the implementation of a new regulatory framework for such waste whilst promoting a transition to a more circular economy.

The Chamber also advocated for the licensing of building and road contractors with possible tax credits offered to workers for their upskilling.

It said that construction waste should be properly identified and promoted dismantling instead of the demolishing of buildings. The Chamber said the government should invest in recycling facilities and depots for construction waste and incentivise the use of recycled building materials.

It also proposed fiscal incentives for property buyers or renovators to align with energy performance obligations and a reduction of the final withholding tax from 8% to 4% for developers that invested in sustainable construction materials.