Kalkara residents woke up last week to find a number of trees on the parish church grounds uprooted but nobody is assuming responsibility for the chop.

Residents said the garden adjacent to the San Ġużepp church, including shrubs and trees, was removed, together with a pond and a statue.

Pictures shared on the ‘’Parroċċa San Ġużepp Kalkara’ dating back to May 2021 show the large mature trees and colourful shrubs.

It also shows a staircase and ramp, which connected the elevated pavement to the church ground.

Whodunit? 

Parish priest Fr Brian Gialanze said the trees were removed as part of a road project conducted by Infrastructure Malta.

Though the trees were on church property, he said he had no other information when the trees were removed and if they will be replaced.

A spokesperson from Infrastructure Malta said that while it is currently building a new road behind the church, no trees were removed as part of the project.

Kalkara mayor Wayne Aquilina said he is unaware why the trees were removed, pointing out that the council does not delve into the business of private properties, and the missing trees, shrubs and statue fall all under church property.

He said he is happy that works on the road behind the church are taking place.

A Google image of Kalkara parish church showing the large tree and garden, which have now been removed. PHOTO: GOOGLE

“If any additional work is being done on church property, the person who is responsible for the property must answer and explain what is happening,” he said.

“As a council, we always ensure we have the necessary permits before carrying out any works.”

The Curia was none the wiser when asked what happened to the trees.

Replying to questions, a Curia spokesperson said the removal of any trees and shrubs adjacent to the church was done in conjunction with works carried out by Infrastructure Malta.

“The Archdiocese was not made aware that the works carried out by Infrastructure Malta adjacent to the Kalkara parish church involved the removal of any trees or shrubs,” she said.

“The parish priest has explained that the trees and shrubs in question were not protected and that the roots of the larger tree were apparently causing structural damage to the paving surrounding them.”