New policy opens the floodgates to high-rise

The new policy on building heights launched by Parliamentary Secretary Michael Farrugia on Monday paves the way for the development 7 to 10 apartment blocks in Sliema. Gzira, St Julian's and Marsascala.

While public attention was inevitably focused on the decision to limit buildings higher than 10 storey blocks to Qawra, Paceville, Tigné, Marsa Gzira and Pembroke, the new policy is also set to change the urban landscape of a number of localities by allowing so-called medium rise developments.

The new policy allows medium-sized developments in the entire urban conurbation from St Julian's and Sliema in the north to Gzira, Msida and Pieta, in Marsa and Marsascala in the south, and in Bugibba, Qawra, St Paul's Bay in the north. 

In those areas, where the local plans limit building heights to 6, 7 or 8 floors, apartment blocks will now rise to up to 10 stories. 

These areas include the Sliema front where development is currently limited to 8 floors. But no such development is allowed in town centres designated as urban conservation areas.

The Policy and Design Guidelines issued by The Malta Environment and Planning Authority in 2007 already allow the authority to surpass the height limitation imposed in the local plans by applying the Floor Area Ratio - a planning mechanism through which a reduction in the footprint of a project can be compensated with an increase in heights.

But the application of the Floor Area Ratio is presently limited to sites with a minimum site area of 3,000 square metres. This has effectively limited the spread of medium rise developments. 

The new rules effectively do away with this requirement in those localities identified for medium sized developments while raising this minimum requirement from 3,000 to 5,000 square metres in all other localities.

This will make it easier for developers to build extra floors in the so-called "strategic search area" which include localities which have taken most of the brunt of development in past years, while making high rise development more difficult in other areas.

In both cases, the new rules specify that at least 50% of the site area has to be allocated for open spaces, up from the 25% envisioned in the 2007 guidelines.

One criteria limiting the extent of tall and medium rise buildings is the obligation that any development site has to be surrounded by existing streets on all sides.

No medium sized or tall development can take place in urban conservation areas, and in all of Gozo.

MEPA refused a proposal made by the Federation of Building Contractors to impose a minimum site area of 3,000 square metres as a requirement for all high-rise developments.

MEPA replied that "site area requirements have not been taken on board by the draft policy except for sites identified by the private sector and which fall outside the preferred locations, in which case the minimum site area is proposed to be 5,000 square metres".

MEPA also refused a demand by the Malta Developers Association and the Federation of Building Contractors against the condition that high- and medium-rise developments must be surrounded by four streets.

According to MEPA, the requirement that sites are surrounded by four streets will ensure that higher buildings are detached from third-party properties. 

But Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar contends that this is no safeguard against damage to homes in the vicinity.

FAA also noted that prohibiting high-rise development in certain areas like UCAs will not protect people living a short distance away from overshadowing and diminished light and air.

It also shot down the requirement that 50% of the site must be retained as an open space,

"Past examples have shown that open spaces will be paved and used as commercial plazas or private spaces. Therefore the public is not benefiting from the open space which was supposed to be the justification for allowing them".

Relaxing hotel heights should not be blanket provision

Former MHRA president George Micallef said that MEPA's policy of relaxing current hotel height limitations should not automatically apply to all categories, arguing that a thoughtful analysis of what Malta needs should be carried out first.

The MEPA policy increases the current limit by two stories to encourage the upgrade of existing hotels.

Contacted by MaltaToday, Micallef said it is premature to judge the idea pending policy guidelines.

"The regulations and guidelines of the policy are still unannounced, but one should always seek the right balance between overdevelopment and harsh parameters. This policy should be analysed in the context of the local industry's demand. What types of star hotels need this policy? I hope it would not turn out to be a blanket police to all the categories," Micallef said.

The extension of hotels would result in more rooms and reduced prices, harshening the competition between local hotels in the process. Nonetheless, Micallef said the authorities should tackle this policy with a holistic approach.

"One should not enter into individual cases - ultimately, only the demand and supply on a national scale should matter."

MaltaToday is informed that so far MEPA has received three applications for hotel extensions, namely St Julian's Radisson, the Qawra Palace Hotel and San Antonio's in Bugibba.

The new policy sees a greater application of the floor area ratio, a mechanism that foresees higher buildings than foreseen in local plans if they occupy a smaller footprint. This would mean shifting towards a higher building rather than occupying a larger area.