ADPD-The Green Party has objected to the building of a private school in Attard, saying it wants to protect the interests of the community and the present and future needs of the state school in the locality.

Addressing media, ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that according to the local plans the area where the school is to be built is earmarked for sports facilities.  However, there is now an application to convert the use of this 5,666 square metre piece of property for a private school (PC 00002/24). 

This application seeks to substantially reduce the area in Attard where sports facilities can be built for community use.  It also compromises the interests of the community of Attard regarding access to sports facilities, she said.  Moreover, this application does not provide any studies on the impact that such a change in the use of land in question on the community of Attard.

As a result of this application, the interests of the community are now in conflict with private interests.  It is important to note that the community has been promised that this site will be allocated for sports facilities, not once but twice.  In fact, the government was in the process of acquiring the land and compensating the owners twenty years ago, but instead of proceeding with the sports facilities project, everything was put on hold and eventually the site was returned to the original owners.  Yet, this application has now been submitted in spite of the fact that the local plans are clear about the use of the land, she said.

For these reasons we have presented an objection to this application. The objection was presented by Ralph Cassar, Attard’s Green local councillor, and on behalf of a number of residents.