Lowest number of dwellings approved in 2013

At just 2,707, the number of approved new dwellings in 2013 was the lowest since the start of the millennium, but permits for dwellings located outside development zones (ODZ) increased from a record low of 42 in 2012 to 81 last year.

Since 2000, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority has approved 83,603 new dwellings, 50,504 of which were approved during the building boom between 2003 and 2008. But the number of permits issued has consistently declined over the next five years.

The latest census shows that the number of properties vacant for most of the year has shot up from 53,136 in 2005 to a staggering 72,150 in 2011. In the same period, MEPA approved 51,366 new dwellings.

While in 2012, ODZ dwellings represented just 1.4% of all permits issued by MEPA. The percentage of new ODZ dwellings has now doubled to 3% of all newly-approved dwellings. In 2011, ODZ permits represented 2.4% of the total number of new approved dwellings.

The highest number of ODZ permits was issued in 2005 when 285 units were issued outside development zones. But these still represented 3.1% of all permits issued in that year. 

Figures issued by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority show that in 2013, only 2,707 permits for dwellings were issued, down from 3,064 in 2012.

The number of permits issued has declined consistently every in every year since 2008.

In fact, while the number of permits increased every year between 2000 and 2007 - rising from 3,970 to 11,343 - the numbers of permits consistently declined in the next five years.

But while the total number of approved dwellings continued to decline, the number of approved maisonettes increased from 298 in 2012 to 353 last year.

The number of approved terraced houses (209) was also the highest since 2010.

Only 2,062 new apartments were approved in 2013, down from 2,489 in 2012. The highest number of apartments (10,252) was approved in 2007.

Forty-seven percent of all new dwellings approved in 2013 are located on previously undeveloped land, while 53% are located on already developed land. This contrasts with the situation in 2000, when 70% of all dwellings were developed on previously undeveloped land. 

The percentage of dwellings on virgin land reached an ebb of 40% in 2005, but rose again to 56% in 2008. This coincided with the extension of building boundaries carried out in 2006, which saw the inclusion of formerly ODZ land in development boundaries.

Only 312 new dwellings approved in 2013 were the result of the conversion of existing dwellings. This was the lowest number since 2006. 1,120 dwellings approved in 2013 involved the demolition and rebuilding of existing buildings. While the number of converted dwellings declined by 3.6% over 2012, the number of dwelling resulting from redevelopment remained the same. 

The redevelopment of 252 old units approved in 2013 will result in 1,120 new dwellings - a net gain of 868. On the other hand, 307 old units will result in 312 new units.