A group of Attard residents have expressed their concerns over a possible expansion of kindergarten school in the area.

St Cecilia Kindergarten is located in Peter Paul Ruebens Street, which can be accessed through Mriehel by-pass.  The school opened its door in Attard back in 1994, hosting a small group of students. However since then, the number of young children who attend increased.  Now, the owner has filed an application with MEPA in order for 80 students to be welcomed into the premises.

The group of residents have even started a signature petition to voice their opinion against the project. So far, 30 residents have signed the petition, which was passed on to The Malta Independent.  The majority of signatories are residents in Peter Paul Ruebens Street, others in the adjacent road, Emvin Cremona Street.

A spokesperson for MEPA said that the Environment and Planning Commission (EPC) has informed the architect to provide the authority with mitigation measures to reduce inconvenience to third parties. This includes a drop off point within the premises, a waste management report and a noise emission mitigation report.

When contacted, the principal of St Cecilia Kindergarten said that she is aware of the concerns held by residents. She said however, that it was only a couple of residents who voiced their complaints, but the petition shows otherwise. The principal ensured that MEPA have not yet approved the application, and urged residents to wait for the final decision. She said that she will do her best to meet their requirements. However, she stressed that ultimately, she will be complying with MEPA’s orders.

St Cecilia also opened a second school in Tarxien in 2004.