The planning authority has launched for consultation two draft policies that aim to push industrial activity and heavy vehicles away from urban areas.

The policies launched yesterday refer to what are known as areas of containment in Malta, which cover 960,000 square metres of land in outside development zones and number about 36, and open-storage areas in both islands.

The so-called containment areas are industrial zones that were originally developed in ODZs, often illegally, but were normalised or sanctioned over time.

They remained a bit of a grey area even after the development boundaries were updated in 2006 and the draft policies just launched are meant to address this ambiguity.

The idea is to contain clusters of industrial and commercial development and restrict them to these already committed areas.

Industrial activities being carried out in open-air storage facilities will be directed to the containment areas in Malta.

In Gozo, where there are no such areas, two government sites in Xewkija and Għajnsielem have been earmarked to house machinery, trailers, boats and other construction-related equipment, which are left on streets in residential areas.

Special criteria have been established for Gozo due to its size and sensitivity and the areas identified must be “disturbed” land.


Industrial activities being carried out in open-air facilities will be directed to the containment areas


The policies specify that no development would be allowed beyond the established boundaries, approved by the local plans, of the existing containment areas.

The recommendations allow development in these areas if that improves the existing facilities.

The chairman of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, Austin Walker, argued that this policy would provide a solution to people who at the moment were using sites illegally. Although the regulator, over the years, would have slapped such people with enforcement notices, they still needed an alternative for their vehicles and heavy machinery, Mr Walker said.

The documents can be viewed on Mepa’s website www.mepa.org.mt/public-consultation and submissions will be received over the next six weeks to be assessed in preparation for the final draft.

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