Din l-Art Helwa has hit out at loopholes in the planned new planning law, saying it would make development in ODZs easier when it should actually be making it more difficult.

DLH president Simone Mizzi said the redrafted structure plan (SPED) would widen rather than close existing loopholes.

She explained that the new draft has been written in such a way so projects that are deemed to be ‘unfeasible’ within urban areas can be built in out of development zones where land is cheaper and much more accessible, such as in the case of Zonqor Point.

"Also of great concern to the NGO is that projects that are deemed to be of a ‘sustainable’ nature are similarly to be permitted in out of development zones. ‘The criteria of sustainability’, said Ms Mizzi, ‘is a very broad one which cannot easily be defined. Sustainability of development can be applied to most projects, making it legal for all sorts of construction to take place in ODZ, including rural and coastal areas which are so sought after by developers for easy and quick gain".

She insisted that clauses allowing projects to take place in ODZ simply because they may be deemed unfeasible in urban zones should be taken out of the redrafted structure plan.

"These loosely applied terms go totally against the spirit of the legislation which is to give clear, precise and well defined direction to the nation on the use of space over the next decade. The words ‘feasibility’ and ‘sustainability’ should be struck off, or else be clearly defined. To do this the Structure Plan should go back to the drawing board to be rewritten as the serious document it is intended to be, and include detailed plans and policies for every area of the Maltese islands," she said.

In the meantime, the NGO has proposed a moratorium on all large scale and institutional construction projects till the Structure Plan (SPED) can be correctly defined.