Government replies to Opposition saying marina is key element to Eastside project

The Government has questioned what it terms the Opposition's sudden concern for the environment in relation to the Eastside Project.

It recalls that when in Government, the GSD promoted the so-called “Sovereign Bay” scheme, which envisaged a much larger marina and an extensive sea arm stretching across the horizon of Catalan Bay.

The marina, it says, is a key element of the Eastside project and for the removal of the rubble mountain.

The Government claims that in contrast to the GSD's development, the current project has been subject to rigorous environmental assessments, upheld by the European Union.

It adds the development is also proceeding transparently through the Planning process with the marina arm the GSD now criticises considered by the DPC following site visits and the deployment of a physical marker.

The Government states approval was granted with strict conditions including that parts of the sea wall are replaced with low-level rock revetments, to reduce visibility and enhances biodiversity.

It claims the re-shaped shoreline will strengthen coastal resilience while improving ecological value. Concerns about the movement of sand at Catalan Bay, it says, have also been anticipated and addressed.

The viability of removing the rubble mountain and regenerating the Eastside area, it says, depends on the marina as a key element of the design. It adds that to oppose it is effectively to perpetuate an unacceptable situation that has affected the northern edge of Catalan Bay for decades.

 It says the Eastside Project will deliver lasting benefits for Gibraltar and that far from harming the environment, the project will remove an eyesore, enhance Gibraltar’s coastline, and provide long-term economic and social benefits.