Over 72,000 Planning Permits Were Approved In Malta Between 2010 And 2021
Malta experienced a rapid surge in planning permit approvals from 2016 onwards as over 72,000 planning permits being approved from 2010 and 2021.
On average, approximately 4,000 development applications were approved annually between 2010 and 2015.
This figure dramatically increased by nearly 2,000 more approvals in 2016 and doubled to 9,112 in 2017.
By 2018, approved permits had increased to a staggering 10,305.
The statistics were revealed in a new in-depth survey titled “Victims Of Malta’s Construction Boom” by The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation as part of the Public Interest Litigation Network (PILN) breaking down shocking statistics collected from various government agencies about construction developments and their related tragedies.
The significant uptick in the number of approved planning permits between 2016 and 2019 was mirrored in the construction sector’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and an increase in registered building-related companies.
A worrying increase in construction-related fatalities was also found amid all the approvals.
According to data collected by OHSA, at least 49 construction workers lost their lives on construction sites between 2010 and 2022.
Most alarmingly, 2021 and 2022 proved to be the deadliest years with nine and 10 fatalities, respectively. These figures do not include non-worker victims of construction activity, suggesting the actual number of construction-related deaths may be even higher.
The period between 2018 and 2022 had almost triple the fatalities compared to the previous periods of 2010 and 2017
A closer look at the thirty-nine publicly available fatality reports reveals the main culprits for these accidents.
Two-thirds (25 incidents) resulted from falls from height, 18% (seven incidents) were machinery-related, including crushing or hitting workers, and 10% (four incidents) were caused by falling objects.
This rising trend underscores the urgent need for strengthened safety measures and rigorous enforcement of regulations in Malta’s burgeoning construction industry.
The surge in planning permits and the construction boom it has triggered is a double-edged sword, providing economic growth but at a high human cost.
What do you make of these new stats?