With the demand for bed spaces in retirement homes ever increasing, the Planning Authority has decided to allow them to build two additional floors.
This change in the building height, over what is permitted in the Local Plan for the area, comes with the prerequisite that the design will be high quality and no blank walls permitted.
The height adjustment policy cannot be applied to retirement homes that are located Outside Development Zone, along a ridge edge and Grade 1 scheduled buildings.
The policy makes a provision that in the event that the operation of a retirement home ceases, that part of the development permitted under this policy will be required to be removed at the owner’s full expense.
The approved policy document and the submissions that the authority received during the public consultation phase may be downloaded from the authority’s website www.pa.org.mt.
The policy also aims to incentivise improvement in the service to older persons who require long-term care facilities to better their quality of life.
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FACT FILE Like many other countries, Malta faces an ageing population, mainly due to a lower fertility rate and an improvement in longevity. The 65+ age group as at 2011 represents 16.3% of the population, up from 11.4% in 1995. Ministry The 65+ age group as at 2011 represents 16.3% of the population, up from 11.4% in 1995. Ministry Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity (MFSS) data shows, that between 2010 and end of September 2015, the total number of available beds increased from 3660 to 5,072, while the waiting list for admission into public homes in end of September 2015 stood at 1,551 persons. Recent government forecasts have estimated a need for an average additional 200 beds per year up to 2025, in public retirement homes alone. |