Rosia Bay: Government guarantees public access under redevelopment plans

The Government has guaranteed Rosia Bay will remain open to the public under plans to redevelop the site.

It says discussions with a preferred bidder are aimed at restoring the Bay and opening it up to more people - with no residential development.

The Government says any eventual scheme would require the consent of the landlord, planning approval and, where relevant, a heritage licence - what Number Six describes as a “triple lock” of three separate consents.

But the Environmental Safety Group and the Federation of Sea Anglers are calling for more detail on exactly what is planned.

The debate has also been fierce on social media, with many expressing strong views.

Rosia Bay was transferred from the Ministry of Defence in 1990, and this is the sixth formal tender process since then.

Previous proposals have included leisure facilities, bathing pavilions, residential developments and even a water park - but none has ultimately gone ahead.

This time, public access has been guaranteed, but exactly what that access will look like - and how existing Rosia Bay users will fit into the plans - remains a concern for some.

The Gibraltar Federation of Sea Anglers says it is an important venue for shore fishing and a main base for competitions.

It says the sport is attracting increasing numbers of young people and wants assurances that access to the mole won’t be diminished by any development.

Meanwhile The Environmental Safety Group says Rosia Bay should be treated as a public-interest project, with heritage, conservation, environmental protection and inclusive public access at its heart.