St Monica School objects to residential rezoning next to Birkirkara campus

St Monica School in Birkirkara is objecting to a Planning Control application seeking to rezone an empty site next to the school into a residential area.

The application was filed by SS Developments Ltd, which wants to change the local plan designation keeping the site free from any development except a future extension of “institutions”. The company was the plot to be rezoned as a residential area instead.

In a formal objection, St Monica School said it was objecting to the permanent removal of the institutional designation from the land directly adjoining its property.

The school argued that the site represents a scarce institutional resource in a densely developed locality and could potentially be used in future for classrooms, specialised educational facilities, sports and recreation, accessibility improvements, safer circulation or other community uses.

It said educational needs could change over the coming decades and that there was no need for the school to have an immediate construction project for the land to retain its institutional value.

The school also raised privacy concerns, arguing that residential development could introduce windows, balconies, terraces and roof-level areas overlooking school grounds, outdoor learning areas and routes used by students.

It warned of potential conflicts between residential amenity expectations and ordinary school activities, including break times, physical education, assemblies, performances and extracurricular programmes.

Traffic, parking, servicing and road-safety impacts should also be assessed alongside existing school activity, particularly during arrival and dismissal periods, the school said.

St Monica argued that there was no evident overriding public-interest justification for removing the institutional zoning and warned that approval could contribute to the gradual loss of institutional land.

The school is asking the Planning Authority to retain the existing designation.