People who care about planning are hyped up about what is happening. Rightly so, since the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) is a top organisation in Malta that affects the daily lives of each and every one of us.
Proposing a reform of the planning system is a huge task. Whatever will be proposed will surely have positive and negative aspects. However, at this stage, we should not focus on detail, but on strategic issues related to planning.
Let's be clear about this - Mepa equals planning. This should not be the case. Planning should go beyond Mepa and should have a focused Act dedicated solely to it, which addresses the functioning of the system as a whole, including the role of government, regulatory bodies and the diffusion of a planning culture among the different policy-making organisations.
The second issue is the amalgamation of environment with planning. These two sectors are extremely important. We must realise, however, that they are different. Whereas it is obvious that planning decisions directly affect the environment, it is many times forgotten that environmental considerations also directly affect planning decisions.
And since we all know that planning decisions should be taken after proper analysis of environmental, social and economic considerations, a direct fusion between planning and the environment is bound to reduce the importance of the other two aspects in planning decisions.
Once we can focus on planning, it is then an exercise in seeing the relationships between the stakeholders and devising ways of interactions. This is how the system could function:
• National government;
• Technical planning decision-making function;
• Technical planning decision-taking function;
• Clients.
The government can have the role of integrating national policy and its formulation. This should include all sectors, such as housing, transport, tourism, etc. In terms of planning, this is equivalent to the strategic planning function currently handled by Mepa.
Proper planning requires covering all sectors, for which integrated strategic planning should take place and carried out using established planning techniques. The government's role would be to give strategic direction through such strategic plans, which would then be translated into land use documents equivalent to the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands. No precise land specification should be included at this level.
The technical planning decision-making function would be carried out by the equivalent of today's Mepa's Planning Directorate. Here, one should go into the detailed planning policy in line with the strategic direction given by the national government. At this level, planning professionals would have the job of giving flesh to the strategic policies formulated at national government level. This not only means policy writing for forward planning, but should also cover development control.
It is important that the technical planning decision-taking function is a separate entity, as one cannot have the equivalent of the attorney general also being the judge. At the moment, Mepa does it all. It formulates policy (albeit with the minister's approval), assesses applications, and decides on them too.
Decision-taking should be separated from the decision-making function, as otherwise decisions would be biased. A feedback loop needs to be established. Again, at this stage, experienced professional planners involved within the private sector are crucial.
Finally, the clients, who tend to be forgotten, are important. Any organisation is there to serve its clients and give them the best service within its financial and human resource capability. In terms of the planning system being advocated here, the three main sub-divisions are the general public, proposers of major impact projects, and local councils/NGOs.
The needs of these three groups should be addressed specifically throughout the system, without giving any one of them a particular advantage but while fully addressing their own specific needs.
The proposed reform will need to address all these issues.
Mr Magri is an architect specialised in land use planning. He has worked in planning since 1988, both as part of the Planning Directorate in the early days of planning in Malta, and privately. He currently forms part of the team at Mangion, Mangion and Partners, and can be contacted at vmagri@mmp.com.mt or on 2133 6704.