Existing development zones should not increase, Miriam Dalli says

Existing development zones should not increase in size in any discussion on changes to the local plans, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli believes.

She outlined her beliefs during her ministry’s budget estimates debate in parliament on Monday.

Dalli said the discussion on the local plans cannot be “superficial”, insisting that the controversial expansion of the development zones in 2006 was “more than enough”.

“While consultation can lead to adjustments that make sense or help solve injustices, we must not go down the road that will lead us to expand the development boundaries,” she said.

Dalli acknowledged that the changes introduced in 2006 gave people new development rights but insisted that the focus in these new areas today should be on quality not quantity.

She also added that undisturbed public land within these zones should remain open spaces.

The government opened Pandora’s Box recently when it kicked off a partial and limited review of the local plan for the Villa Rosa site in St George’s Bay. Eventually, Prime Minister Robert Abela conceded that the local plans may be outdated and require amending – a position that goes counter to previous declarations that the local plans cannot be touched.

The Environment Minister’s declaration in parliament is significant since it is ostensibly the first time a senior Cabinet member has laid down certain parameters for a change in the local plans since the Villa Rosa debacle came to light.

“I look forward to a discussion that considers everything but above all ensures that our country does not repeat the same mistake it did in 2006,” Dalli said.