Developers have pushed back against plans to increase fees for buildings designed without adequate parking places, saying the changes were made without consultation. 

The Malta Developers Association is seeking a transition period before the Planning Authority introduces the increases.

The MDA said in a statement that although it was not against the idea in principle, the fact that the decision was taken without any consultation was deplorable.

These contributions, the MDA said, were being levied indiscriminately – even when sites did not allow for parking areas, such as sites where rock excavation was not allowed for heritage reasons, restricted sites and sites close to sea level.

Read: Developers to pay much more when they cannot provide on-site parking

In these cases, developers could not provide the parking required for reasons beyond their control, the MDA said.

The developers' lobby accused the PA of having spent years levying contributions to offset the lack of parking, only to never use those funds for the purpose they were collected - the provision of public parking spaces in needed areas. 

It called on the PA and "the minister" -  Ian Borg - to allow for a transitory period before the new levies were charged. This, the MDA argued, would give developers with pre-existing commitments with property owners the chance to apply for development and be charged at the old rates.