Friday 29 March 2024

MDA urges authorities to adopt reasonable policy on batching plants

The Malta Developers Association (MDA) refers to yet another controversy that impinges on the construction industry: the fact that a considerable number of concrete batching plants are operating without having a development permit for this activity.

MDA would be defeating its own mission if it did not emphasise that such a state of illegality cannot be accepted as a normal situation.

There is no doubt that such plants cannot be situated in development zones and, therefore, their siting can be controversial. The problem is that there is no established policy regarding these plants. 

Yet these plants constitute an industrial activity that is a vital link in the chain of different stakeholders that make up the construction industry.

Taking up land for industrial use to create employment has always been considered justified by different administrations so as to generate employment. Concrete batching plants should not be considered as an exception to this norm.

MDA therefore appeals to the Planning Authority and to the Government to ensure that a reasonable policy for concrete batching plants is established. This would enable owners of existing plants that are nor in breach of the policy to regularise and sanction their activity after payment of fines that are normally due in such circumstances.

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