The Finance Minister has expressed his support to the Zabbar local council in its fight against the building of a five-storey home for the elderly in the heart of the locality.

In a short post on Facebook, Clyde Caruana said he, as a person from Zabbar, endorses the position taken by the council against the development which is close to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces.

The Zabbar council this week announced a public demonstration in response to the Planning Authority's approval of a five-storey elderly care facility that will overlook the town's designated Urban Conservation Area. The demonstration is scheduled to take place on Monday in the locality's main square.

According to the council, the permit was issued despite its formal objections. The proposed development occupies a site at Misraħ tal-Madonna Medjatriċi and Triq Ġanni Bonavia, an area that includes several culturally significant buildings such as the Notre Dame Hall, the Żabbar Sanctuary Museum, and Dar Sagra Familja, a Church-run children's home. The parish church is situated immediately adjacent to the museum.

The project, submitted by Daniel Zahra and designed by architect James Bonnici Camilleri, involves demolishing an existing two-storey structure while retaining its façade, and constructing a five-storey elderly care home in its place.

The council emphasised that the proposed height exceeds that of neighbouring buildings, conflicts with the architectural context, and may obstruct traditional fireworks displays associated with local festivities. It also noted that current planning policies could allow the developer to seek an additional two floors.