The Islamic authorities in Malta have approached the Government to buy the vacant property adjacent to the Mosque to build a secondary school.

Two months ago the World Islamic Call Society was granted a permit to build a new secondary school, gym and underground car park on a plot of land next to the site in Paola.

A spokesman for the Land Department confirmed that the site was government-owned and vacant. “The World Islamic Call Society has shown interest in acquiring the site located behind the Mosque at Paola.”

Since a planning permit had been issued, the Government Property Department “will be considering the disposal of the site”, which would be made in terms of the Disposal of Government Land Act, the spokesman said.

The new three-storey school will be built behind the existing primary school and will have a footprint of around 1,500 square metres. It will have eight classrooms with 30 students in each.

The car park, to be built below the building, will be around 5,000 square metres and have 141 spaces.

Besides the new gym, the schoolchildren will also be able to make use of a football pitch, under which there will be an underground reservoir.