Prime minister’s planning reform benefits land speculators, says ADPD

ADPD-The Green Party says the two new draft planning laws announced by the prime minister serve the interests of land speculators and undermine public participation in the planning process.

“It is crystal clear that the bills presented for parliament’s consideration are the result of pressure to further relax the Planning Authority’s work, completely abandon its planning function and become more of a permit factory,” Carmel Cacopardo, deputy chairperson of ADPD said.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Robert Abela defended the proposed laws by citing anecdotes of sick people who wanted to regularise illegal development.

Cacopardo said this was an attempt to manipulate public opinion. He described the reform as a step backwards that will make it more difficult for civil society to follow and challenge major development proposals.

ADPD warned that the changes would reduce the time available to appeal decisions made by the Planning Authority and remove environmental matters from the Authority’s responsibilities. The draft laws also introduce more flexibility in the application of planning policies, which Cacopardo said will create uncertainty around which rules are actually being followed.

Cacopardo argued that these changes weaken protections for residential communities and strengthen the hand of developers. “The prime minister is now openly complicit in their savage development. It is not something new, we have known for a long time. But now there is also evidence,” he added.