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Discrimination: the name of the game
The current mess in planning is the result of many decisions taken over the years intended to soothe the Maltese psyche
Michael Falzon
14 June 2021, 7:00am
File Photo
If there is one thing where discrimination is justified, it is in development planning. One can build five storeys in one site but only two in another site. In this case, the discrimination is between the two sites and not between the owners of the two sites.
Even so, this sort of discrimination is almost anathema to the Maltese psyche. All Maltese hate discrimination, except when it is in one’s favour! Then all sorts of justifications are invented, some of them after the event, so that discrimination does not look like discrimination.
More than 140 people have applied for funding to green their facade or front garden through a newly-launched scheme, the Planning Authority said on Tuesday.
The PA’s ‘Green Your Building’ scheme was rolled out earlier this year, offering applicants a 100 per cent refund on works to create green walls or retrofit their front gardens with greenery, up to a maximum of €10,000 per application.
A total of €1.2 million was allocated to the scheme, which proved especially popular among residents of Mosta (12 applications), Naxxar (8) and Birkirkara (7).
The scheme was aimed at private residences within residential areas that are not within Urban Conservation Areas or villa/bungalow areas. Shops and offices with existing front gardens within these areas could also apply.
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Home, shop and office owners will soon be able to apply for a grant of up to €10,000 to green the facade of their buildings, through a new scheme that will begin next month.
The Green Your Building scheme will refund 100 per cent of eligible works, including all costs related to labour, materials, equipment hire and a five-year maintenance plan, to set up green facades, green walls or the green retrofitting of front gardens.
A budget of €2 million has been allocated to the scheme, which is a first for Malta. Applications will open on February 15 and will end on April 9, with funds available on a first-come, first-served basis.