Planning policy on hotel heights already being tweaked

Barely three months after the approval of a policy allowing hotels in tourist areas to add two new floors, a more comprehensive policy on the same subject is to be issued for public consultation in the coming weeks.

A spokesperson for the Malta Environment and Planning Authority confirmed that this policy and eight others, including one on fireworks, are not being drafted by the Authority but by committees which have been directly appointed by the government.

A spokesperson for MEPA confirmed that a new policy on hotel heights is in the offing, describing the policy approved in May as an "interim measure".

"The policy that was issued was one that was prepared by the previous administration. Since this policy did not conflict with the vision of the government, it was published as an interim measure until the new policy is issued."

But the policy approved in May by the newly elected government already included significant changes.

In fact, the new government has acceded to the demands made by the Gozo Tourism Association in extending the new height adjustment regulation that were previously applicable to just Marsalforn, Xlendi and Mgarr, to be extended for the entirety of Gozo.

In Malta, the policy remained applicable to Mellieha, St Paul's Bay, St Julian's, Sliema, Marsascala, Marsaxlokk and Birzebbugia.

But the present policy does not apply to hotels located outside development zones and those located in Urban Conservation Areas.

The Authority was mum when asked whether it was considering extending this policy to more areas than those considered in the approved policy, but it did announce that the objectives of the new plan would be issued for public consultation in the coming weeks.

Government appoints working committees

MEPA is in the process of revising seven existing policies and introducing two new policies, one on fireworks factories and another on petrol stations.

Significantly, the policy changes are being drafted by working committees appointed by the government and not by a specific unit in MEPA.

"For each policy review, the government has identified a working committee which includes, amongst others, various MEPA officials and experts in the field of policy and other agencies and departments," a MEPA spokesperson told MaltaToday.

One of the policies being revised is the one which regulates development outside built-up areas, which dates back to 1995. The other policy regulates agriculture, farm diversification and stables. The two policies are particularly relevant to the government's plans to promote agritourism projects in the countryside.

Fireworks enthusiasts involved in new policy

The MEPA spokesperson justified the need for a new policy on fireworks factories, saying that they were not regulated by a MEPA policy.

"In fact MEPA applied general policies regulating development in Outside Development Zones, together with the provisions of the structure plan."

Asked whether meetings have been held with the Pyrotechnics Association and other stakeholders, the MEPA spokesperson replied that that the Authority "is considering the needs of this industry, together with all the necessary safeguards that are required".

For this aim "a working group which brings all entities together is currently working on this policy".

Over the past years, MEPA has turned down proposals for ODZ factories at Tal-Ghajn in Mellieha, near the Chadwick Lakes, in the limits of Nadur, Rabat, in Ix-Xaghra tal-Isqof, Rabat, and in Tas-Sanap in Munxar, Gozo.  But the Malta Pyrotechnics Association, the fireworks lobby, argues that the building of a new ODZ fireworks factory will improve safety standards.

In opposition, former Labour spokesperson for justice and legal consultant of the Malta Pyrotechnic Association Michael Falzon argued that to improve safety, MEPA has to issue more permits for new fireworks factories in ODZ areas.