Is ODZ development being curbed

Abstract

With the aim of analysing the geographical spread of all Outside Development Zone (ODZ) applications pending at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, I have scoured the Mepa website to find the total number of ODZ applications in each locality in Malta and Gozo. It transpires that there are currently still a total of 1,199 ODZ applications pending, of which 719 were submitted in 2009 and 2010. If one considers the statistics on ODZ applications mentioned in the Mepa reform document currently available on the website of the Office of the Prime Minister ( https://opm.gov.mtlmepa? 1=1 ), a total of 5,411 such applications were received for the 2000 to 2008 period, or an average of about 600 per year. If one also assumes that all ODZ applications submitted over the past two years still remain pending (thus, that there were no other ODZ applications besides those shown on the Mepa website for the 2009-2010 period), then an average of about 360 ODZ applications have been submitted to Mepa over the 2009 to 2010 period - which is considerably lower than the average of about 600 ODZ applications per year covering the 2000 to 2008 period.