NEW nurseries and kindergartens will not be allowed to open in Muharraq’s neighbourhoods without the consent of local residents.
The Muharraq Municipal Council is the only municipal body among Bahrain’s four governorates to apply such a rule to end challenges such as lack of car park spaces, blocked roads and cleanliness issues.
Council chairman Ghazi Al Murbati said yesterday that the new restriction was being imposed following a series of disputes between residents, parents and management of these institutions.
“There are issues with car parking, noise and roads being blocked besides cleanliness, garbage disposal and organisational procedures that has been creating trouble between the managements, parents and residents,” he said.
“This is why consent from neighbours has been introduced in the governorate to ensure that all involved parties don’t complain about the other in the future as everyone is aware about their rights and privacies.
“We understand that nurseries and kindergartens are vital to the educational sector in the country and in preparing children for school, but we have to maintain respect for residential neighbourhoods and ensure neighbours are not bothered.”
The move was approved by the council yesterday and will be enforced across the Muharraq Governorate.
However, during their remote meeting yesterday councillors allowed an existing kindergarten to expand into an adjacent villa following a technical and location assessment by the Muharraq Municipality and the council’s technical committee.
Mr Al Murbati explained that expanding an existing nursery or kindergarten did not require consent from neighbours.
“Expansions are different from a new service, so we require a technical assessment on if there are sufficient car parks, noise filters and other arrangements,” he added.
“Some may say they constitute another nursery or kindergarten especially if the existing size is doubled, but they actually don’t as neighbours are already aware of their existence and a possible increase in the number of children happening at any time.”
Meanwhile, the council is seeking answers on reasons behind what councillors described as bureaucratic delays in accepting donations to build municipal facilities.
It said that a new mechanism has to be adopted by the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry in order to fast track such donation requests.
“There has to be a system for a quick assessment of the financial status of donors and the source of funding to ensure the donors don’t change their minds or have to wait,” said Mr Al Murbati.
“At a time when every contribution matters and with technological ease in transfer and follow-up, there are no excuses for these matters to be delayed.
“Bureaucracy needs to end and new procedures should be introduced as there are several projects that are still on hold.”
It came as the council’s services and public utilities committee chairman Fadhel Al Oud highlighted that a new public park was kept on hold for the past year despite a private company willing to finance the project.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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