GSD: "This Is Not The First Time The GSLP Abandon A Manifesto Commitment In Relation To This Site"
The GSD has said the old Queen Cinema site has been put out to general tender.
A statement from the GSD follows below:
Is it now luxury housing for the old Queen’s Cinema site? The decision to put the ex-Queen’s Cinema and Queen’s Hotel sites out to tender for general use represents yet another unceremonious abandonment by the GSLP Government of its promises to the electorate in respect of that site.
Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi said: “Only 8 months ago the GSLP promised the electorate that it would develop the site for affordable housing for 50/50 sales and rental housing for the elderly. They also said they would provide a “small Art-house style cinema” and for “dancing clubs” at the old Queen’s cinema site in line with the historic use of the “location of the old Assembly rooms.” The clear impression to anyone reading the manifesto was that these were going to be the exclusive uses of the site.
It seems clear that under this latest expressions of interest process any residential or commercial scheme is possible – including luxury housing. There is no provision for the cultural use promised or affordable 50/50 housing for general sale. The only restriction is that there must be some sheltered housing for the elderly for sale or for rental. It is clear that the Government are seeking interest from private developers as there is a reference to the negotiation of a premium. This is no longer the Government exclusively developing the site for affordable and rental housing and cultural use. Is this what they rammed through the demolition of the Queen’s Cinema site for? So as to benefit commercial developers?
This is not the first time the GSLP abandon a manifesto commitment in relation to this site. They had previously repeatedly promised to deliver a Queen’s National Theatre which was its centre-piece in its 2015 manifesto.” On 6 May 2013 and to great fanfare the Government announced it had bought the Queen’s Cinema site for £3.5 Million. It declared then that it would convert this into a National Theatre and that this work was going to be led by a team of “local specialists set up by the Chief Minister who will chair it.” At the time Mr Picardo was quoted as saying that this was proof that “the change people voted for is starting to bear fruit.” Gibraltar was promised that the new Theatre would be open for “its first performance and inauguration in 2015.”
In June 2014 the Government were reported to have purchased the remaining lease on the Queen’s Hotel for an undisclosed sum. The expense to the taxpayer on both acquisitions has been in the millions of pounds. Even though they had failed to lay one brick towards the promised National Theatre by 2015 the GSLP repeated the commitment in its 2015 manifesto.
By 2017 it was unceremoniously repositioning itself to ditch the Theatre proposal. The Government said in October 2017 that it had been approached by developers on an “unsolicited basis” to develop the Queen’s Cinema and Queen’s Hotel sites. By October 2017 it was inviting expressions of interest for a mixed-use scheme.
Subsequently and to seek support at the last elections they came up with promises for affordable and rental housing plus the cultural use of the site. It is incredible that these promises have been ditched in a few short months. What this catalogue of broken promises shows you is that it is impossible to believe their promises made for electoral motives that are then flushed away months later.
