“Malta as nine ghost towns each of them being equivalent in size to B’Kara.”

This was stated by Carmel Cacopardo Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party, Spokesman for Sustainable Development and Home Affairs, when addressing an environmental conference organised by Church Environment Commission on Friday afternoon at Floriana.

Carmel Cacopardo stated that whilst the 2005 census had identified 53,000 vacant properties it is estimated that the current census would identify a substantial larger number which would be well above 70,000.

The Census, said Cacopardo, is intended to aid policy makers by providing information relevant to their decision-making. Unfortunately when the 2005 Census was concluded Government ignored the information available.

Cacopardo went on to explain that the 2005 Census had identified that in the 10 years leading to 2005 vacant properties had increased by 17,413. Yet Government went on to increase substantially land available for development through three specific measures. This was done notwithstanding that there was a large amount of vacant property.

The three measures through which additional land was released for development were:

1) The extension of the development zones through the rationalisation exercise;

2) The increase in the permissible height of development in various localities;

3) The relaxation of the height at which a penthouse can be constructed. A penthouse can now be constructed when the maximum permissible height is three floors. This was previously permissible when the permissible height was four floors.

When faced by such a quantity of vacant property, added Cacopardo, it does not make sense to encourage more building construction through a relaxation of land use policy. Government’s land use planning policy has resulted in more to 70,000 vacant properties. These are the equivalent to 9 ghost towns each of which is the size of B’Kara, concluded Cacopardo.

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