A planning application to turn a Sliema townhouse in the heart of the locality into a residential institution for young people has received backlash from residents who live close by.

The application, filed by Fr Marcellino Micallef’s Soup Kitchen OFM Valletta, proposes changing the use from a dwelling to a residential institution, and includes extensions at roof and basement level, and internal alterations. The site is located on Triq Gorg Borg Olivier and Triq Gino Muscat Azzopardi, Sliema.

This newsroom understands that the Foundation, which operates a soup kitchen Valletta, is run separately from the Order of the Franciscan Minors.

A spokesperson for the Valletta Soup Kitchen Foundation explained that this would be a residential home for young people, aged roughly 16 to 23. “There is a cohort of these young people who live in institutionalised homes – government and church homes, and when they reach the age of maturity, they have to leave. The home is intended to support them until they can stand on their own two feet and continue with their lives. The idea is to help them find employment, help them in training or assist them until they get a degree if they are studying.”

The spokesperson confirmed that the site has been donated to the Soup Kitchen Foundation to run for 15 years. The Shift News had previously named the owner of the property in question as Nigel Scerri.

The application has received a number of objections on the Planning Authority website.

One objector wrote that while acknowledging the noble intentions of this application, “I would point out that such an application is not in conformity to the zoning conditions of the Sliema Local Plan for this area.” The argument made is that the policy does allow residential institutions, but that they need to be “of a small scale and do not create adverse impacts on the residential amenity of the area”, and that the institutions “are located in close proximity to a town or local centre.”

This objector said that the application doesn’t comply with either of the two conditions. Regarding the scale, this objector said that the application is for 11 bedrooms which will accommodate 67 bed-spaces, “with most rooms sleeping 6 persons, with one room sleeping 10 persons.” The objector also argued that there will be an industrial scale kitchen. An argument the objector also made that the site is not close to a town or local centre.

The spokesman for the foundation said that the residential home will not accommodate 67 beds, as erroneously indicated in the application, but will sleep 15-16 people.

Another objector said that works had already begun in the back of the building.

Yet another said that there is already a hotel, hospital, supermarket on the road, and that there is ambulance and usual traffic. This part of the road is still untouched with beautiful two-storey homes well maintained and as originally built. Another said: “This is a quiet residential street, albeit not quiet enough with the clientele of the hospital and hotel further up the road. The application will only exacerbate the situation. A family home in the past with max 4 residents now being now replaced with 67 bed spaces is just not acceptable.”

Another objector said that “this is a scheduled property and within 100 metres from the other Ex-Prime Minister, Borg Olivier residence and Capua Palace which are scheduled monuments. This proposal is of an objectionable scale and (the number) of beds proposed is intensive. Site is not close to town or local centre and St Patricks school complex is more of a town centre location and proximity to local council as required by policy,” among other things.

Some people have argued that this application would be used as a pretence for further development down the line. One objector says: “This will ruin the area and be used to circumvent planning laws. This will give rise to boutique hotels in a residential area (…) They are using the pretence of a soup kitchen in the same way that other projects are using gardens as a way to develop on ODZ.”

Another says: “This application appears to be a work around for the site to then be changed into a hotel/hostel, both developments which would affect surrounding residents through additional traffic and noise.”

Asked for the Foundation’s reaction to the opposition to the project by Sliema residents, the spokesperson said: “I understand that, unfortunately, sometimes everybody wants to help but nobody wants these people in their own backyard. This is the situation. These young people, children are not criminals, they have just been unfortunate in life and we are trying to help them out.”

Asked about the plans showing bedrooms to accommodate 67, the spokesperson said that the home will house 16 youths. He said the plans are such as the architect used some diagrams from MTA and made those guidelines, “but the foundation told him we want a maximum of 16 beds.” Asked whether the plans will be amended to reflect this, he said yes.

Asked about the rumours that this application will be used an excuse by a developer after the 15 years are up, for further development or to turn it into a boutique hotel, the spokesperson said: “If you’re a developer, why not do it immediately? It makes no sense to give it to an NGO for 15 years, losing all that money, and after in 15 years turn it into a boutique hotel or whatever. I don’t feel the argument holds water.”