The effectiveness of current Maltese development planning legislation in achieving sustainable development

Abstract

The scope of this thesis is the determination of the effectiveness of current Maltese development planning legislation in achieving sustainable development. To this end, the definition of both development planning, as well as that of sustainable development will be discussed and subsequently the relationship between the two shall be analysed in order to establish the prerequisites to a sustainable planning system. The various environmental, social, cultural, and economic factors affecting this relationship are also of great importance to this discussion and the challenges which these create will also be analysed. Having done so, the current legislation relevant to development planning - in particular, Chapter 504 of the Laws of Malta - will be discussed insofar as this creates the necessary framework for planning policy in line with the concept of sustainable development. The bodies which are set up by development planning legislation will also feature in terms of their different functions and roles as an all-important medium towards achieving the plans and policies which are produced in terms of the same legislation. Having established that development planning legislation is indeed the basis for a sustainable planning system, the different stake holders within this system will be identified and their role within the planning system will be discussed in terms of how such persons influence, and then are in turn influenced by development planning legislation. In then analysing the effectiveness of development planning legislation in achieving sustainable development, it will be argued that the legislation has in fact been successful in that it abides by three key principles: The capability to recognise and respond to cultural, socio-economic and spatial diversity; The garnering of political and community support through public dialogue and thus; The capability of formulating, implementing and effectively enforcing planning policy whilst corresponding to an integrated national policy.