The residents, who staged a symbolic protest outside the villa in Triq il-Virdun, said the proposed kindergarten would create havoc and traffic congestion and would increase the hardships they already have to suffer on a daily basis because of the existing five schools in the area.

San Gwann mayor Kurt Guillaumier explained that the council and the residents were strongly objecting to the proposal because the area was designed to be a residential area. He said the council would be opposing any future application to carry out any commercial activity in the area.

Mr Guillaumier said the residents have invested a lot to purchase their houses in Kappara because the area was always known as a residential area. He said that if the proposals had to be made for another part of San Gwann, the council would not object because the area had already become commercialised.

However, he said, the Kappara area was never intended as one for commercial activity. One resident added that years ago an application for a small grocer was turned down for this reason.

The mayor said the council could not allow the Kappara area to become commercialised because the residents deserve more than this. He said the existing five schools, which all started off from very humble beginnings, with a small number of children, are now operating to the detriment of the residents and lead to traffic congestion, closed roads and other inconveniences.

One resident told The Malta Independent that if he missed the right time slot when traffic flows freely through the roads of these schools, it would take him at least an hour to get home because all the roads would be closed.

Mr Guillaumier said that what concerned the residents and the council was that from a simple ‘change of use’ from a residence to a kindergarten, the owners could re-apply for an extension of the school.

He said the council was not against the idea but against the area earmarked for it.

The current owner of the house, Joseph Farrugia, explained that he submitted the application to change the residence into a kindergarten on behalf of the future owner who promised to purchase the property on condition that the application is upheld.

He said he could not see why the residents were creating such a fuss. “If we were proposing to turn this house into a brothel or a disco, their concerns would be justified, but all we are proposing is a kindergarten for 25 children. This venture could be beneficial for the residents of the area too,” he said.

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