The number of residential building permits issued by the Planning Authority increased by more than a third in 2015, the sharpest spike in recent years, according to official figures.

Data published in the National Statistics Office’s Trends in Malta report shows that the number of permits for new residential buildings increased by more than 34 per cent over the previous year, compared to an EU average of just 7.2 per cent.

Malta Developers Association president Sandro Chetcuti told the Times of Malta the trend was due to an increase in applications driven by higher demand in most property categories.

“If you have a developable piece of land, there’s nothing holding you back from applying,” he said. “People have confidence right now because developers are finding it so easy to sell or rent out new properties.”

Mr Chetcuti said he expected the trend to continue in the coming years, with nothing to indicate that works were slowing down, although he noted that the increase in permits did not always translate into immediate construction.

“Getting the permits in hand is the first stage; the next is assessing the demand for the project,” he said. “Applications are increasing but not all of them will be built immediately, and some will never go ahead.”

However, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar coordinator Astrid Vella questioned whether the recent construction boom was artificially driven, noting the lack of updated statistics on vacant properties.

“As of the last census in 2011, there were 70,000 empty or underutilised properties, of which only 10 per cent were in a dilapidated state,” she told this newspaper, adding that this year had seen for the first time a downturn in rental prices in the Sliema and St Julian’s area.

Ms Vella also claimed FAA had been approached by reputable estate agents voicing concerns that the glut of permits risked leading to a property crash. She also attributed the increase to a relaxation of planning policy across the board, highlighting former three-storey zones which had been allowed to be built up to five or six floors.

“We’re seeing several cases, like Luqa, Pembroke and Attard, where residents are up in arms about the ruination of formerly harmonious residential areas,” she said.

“The streetscape and quality of life will be ruined by the building of blocks of flats in areas previously restricted to houses, bringing with them problems of traffic and pollution.”

Moreover, she added, the vast majority of planning decisions were now taken by the three-person Planning Commission instead of the 10-member board, processing up to 250 applications a week and making it impossible for proposals to be properly studied.

The Times of Malta reported last month that the number of ODZ permits issued last year was also higher than at any point in the last 11 years, with 745 developments in ODZ areas approved in 2016 alone, compared to a 10-year average of 500 developments a year between 2006 and 2015.

The Environment Ministry ascribes the increase to the removal of the Development Notification Order system, which used to exempt minor ODZ developments from planning permission.

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