Sports development in Malta will receive a major boost as all proposed sports infrastructural projects will be exempt from needing to pay the Planning Authority’s (PA) Development Planning Fee (DPF) and an Environment Fee.
This was announced by Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia and Minister for Education and Sport Clifton Grima.
The exemption will apply to projects submitted and/or validated as from the 1st of January 2021. Today, all planning applications for projects proposed by Sports Malta or an entity registered with the Sports Council pay €4.12 per m2.
Projects may include a change of use of a facility or a new development.
“This is another electoral promise fulfilled. Our aim is to continue helping and incentivising registered sports organisations by exempting them from Planning Authority tariffs and fees for sports projects. We believe that we should promote the development of sports in Malta, and encourage sports entities through this measure in order to invest in their facilities and make them more accessible. We are helping sports entities by financing projects through the DPF,” Minister Farrugia said.
Minister Farrugia reiterated that this fund provides local councils, NGOs, and others with the necessary financial support for them to be proactive and undertake projects that are aimed at improving the wellbeing, environment, and social dimension of our towns and villages.
Minister Clifton Grima spoke about the government’s commitment to a better quality of life for all and emphasised that this can be achieved through two important links; education and sport. “Our aim is to give the best possible education to every child in our country, but also that every child has the opportunity to practice the sport of their choice. Today is another electoral promise that we are fulfilling. We are helping to encourage sports associations so that they can continue to invest in their sports facilities. Another opportunity with which we are supporting them so that they will be able to invest back in sports, our athletes and the community,” said Minister Grima.
Executive Chairperson of the Planning Authority Martin Saliba said that, “We strongly believe that we carry a social responsibility to promote, incentivise and support the development of sports in Malta. This not only to be more competitive on an international level, but more importantly because sports has the unique ability to bring people together in such great numbers, and with so much passion and enjoyment.” Mr Saliba concluded by saying that, “More importantly, through this measure we are giving sports entities the incentive to invest in their facilities to make them increasingly more accessible and adaptable for persons with disability to be given the same opportunity to participate in and follow sport events.”
