May 08 - PDP Press Release on Floating Hotel - Sunborn
The PDP acknowledges the efforts of the Government in providing Gibraltar with five star+ accommodation. There is no doubt that Gibraltar will benefit from this product for both tourists and business travellers alike. The floating hotel in itself is a novel concept that has the potential to raise the appeal of Gibraltar to travellers and as a consequence the PDP cautiously welcomes its imminent arrival. The PDP acknowledge the advantages in terms of timing of such a concept. Clearly Gibraltar has been in need of 1st rate Hotel accommodation and there can be no doubt that the building of a new hotel would have taken far longer.
However, there are some understandable concerns with reference to the expediency with which this project has gone ahead - without what appears to be the necessary consultation and transparency we had been told would be the norm with this new Government. The issue is not about whether it is a good idea or not but more to do with the fact that existing affected parties, such as restaurant owners and hoteliers were only recently informed of this development as opposed to being consulted on the matter and how this will affect their businesses. The PDP appreciates that Gibraltar’s hotels have suffered from under investment for many years and the need for improvement but surely these businesses along with the many other businesses within Ocean Villages such as bars, restaurants, cafes etc deserved to be consulted on this new venture as they too are stakeholders in the success of Gibraltar’s tourist product. It is vital that their voice is heard and that no jobs are lost at the expense of this new venture. Similarly the PDP would like to know whether the future employees aboard the Sunborn Gibraltar will be recruited locally and whether training will be provided for in order to meet the standards required for a five star business.
The PDP welcomes the delayed acknowledgement that there will be some adherence to the planning process but is concerned that it is the Government who have requested planning permission for the reclamation and not the developers. The danger of this being that the Government, unlike any private sector applicant can push through proposals through the DPC, with or without their consent. It is therefore unjust that any protestations made by any of the stakeholders or residents of the area could simply be ignored. The PDP urges the Government to consider changing this loophole in the planning procedure to avoid potential abuse. The PDP in Government would accept that its projects cannot be above the law.
The PDP feels there has been an unnecessary lack of transparency with regards to the Government’s involvement and what incentives have been granted for the vessel being brought to Gibraltar. In particular:
1. Have soft loans been granted and if so for how much and under what conditions?
2. What is the cost of bringing the vessel to Gibraltar?
3. Who is paying for the dredging and how and to whom was the contract
awarded?
4. What subsidies if any have been granted and for what amount?
5. Has planning permission been sought for the ship as well as the
proposed land reclamation?
6. When if at all was the environmental assessment carried out and
what effect will the vessel's services such as sewage, water and electricity have on an
already overstretched infrastructure?
7. How permanent is Sunborn’s commitment to Gibraltar?
8. How are those affected during the preparation stage going to be assisted if at all?
Once again the PDP cautiously welcomes the arrival of the Sunborn Gibraltar but questions the haste and manner in which the Government has committed itself to this project.
