What's happening with the Rooke Elderly Care Home, now nearly 3 years overdue?

What’s happening with the Rooke Elderly Care Home?

First announced in 2020, the project was built using prefabricated units shipped from China.

Now, nearly three years past its expected completion date, with costs exceeding £38 million, its doors remain closed.

GBC has put questions to the Government.

The Rooke Elderly Care Home, first announced in mid-2020, was part of the Government’s National Economic Plan to reduce reliance on imported labour, avoid frontier disruption, and find a more cost-effective way to build essential infrastructure.

It was a response to the COVID emergency and aimed at supporting Gibraltar’s post-Brexit self-sufficiency.

Construction

Rather than use traditional construction methods, modular prefabricated units were shipped from China in a pilot scheme.

These contained bedrooms and bathrooms built into the units, ready to be slotted into the concrete structure at the Rooke site.

In Parliament, Sir Joe Bossano explained that the 170-room Rooke facility would eventually replace Mount Alvernia, but said it would function as Mount Alvernia was originally intended – as a residential home rather than a home offering hospital-level care.

Delays, Setbacks and Costs

In January 2023, the Great Faith Bulk Carrier arrived in Gibraltar carrying 220 containers.

Completion was initially estimated at six months, but there were delays and setbacks. Sir Joe explained that integrating the modular system into the non-modular building created a number of technical problems.

By 2024, costs had soared to £38 million, leading to cashflow problems for the construction company, GBIC Limited, a joint venture between the Government and a Chinese company.

Funding

The funding was provided primarily through loan notes purchased by Government-owned companies, particularly through the Gibraltar Savings Bank, rather than through direct Government capital expenditure.

Occupation, Ownership and Management

In June 2024, the Government declined to answer GBC questions on the project, stating the building is “privately owned and will be privately operated.”

In January 2025, the Government told GBC the Rooke Care Home would be ready for occupation later in the year, but that no decision had yet been made regarding its use.

A completion date at the end of July was then given, with two UK companies having expressed interest in purchasing or renting the facility, and a number of scoping visits were nreportedly carried out.

But the year passed with no further news.

Then, in January this year, the Government invited expressions of interest for an individual or organisation to occupy, operate and manage the building.

The Opposition asked for an update. The Chief Minister said the Government will make a statement "when the time is right".

GBC has recently asked the Government when it expects to make a statement, whether all construction is finished, whether any investor or manager has been appointed, what the total cost of the project is and how it has been funded.

To date, we have not received any answers.

While the cost-effective, fast-track solution, now three years overdue, has not quite lived up to expectations – it may still prove a much-needed addition to the housing stock.