Following the Road to the Lines tender announcement, the Gibraltar Heritage Trust says a “longer-term vision and Area Plan for the district is well overdue”.

A statement from the Gibraltar Heritage Trust follows below:

The Gibraltar Heritage Trust has been following and the encouraging urban renewal of the Road to the Lines area for well over a decade. In this time there have been various proposals and schemes for the beautification and regeneration of this area but to date none have become a reality. The reasons for this are multiple due to the complexity of area (access, outdated infrastructure, existing residents, etc) and similarly there will be no single formula for a solution. The Trust believes that the only way to efficiently renovate this area is to tackle the site holistically and within a programmed plan which encourages both private and public investment. 

The Trust has in the past advocated that this area, and others within the old town, be renewed using a model which has been successfully undertaken locally in the past in regenerating dilapidated areas of real estate such as Calpe Barracks and 14 Flat Bastion Road. In both these historic properties, Government acted as the developer, and put the houses out for sale to first time homeowners at near to cost price. The result was the access of young people and families to the property ladder and the provision of fantastic family homes. Additionally, the projects not only safeguarded these historic buildings, but also the investments in quality properties have retained their value both within the community and economically.

The regeneration of many parts of Gibraltar’s old town does not simply require the refurbishment of the fabric of the buildings, but the upgrading and modernisation of the infrastructure that serves them. The benefits of investment in infrastructure is not immediately obvious, but has many positives. One need look no further than the regeneration of Castle Street, Calle Comedia, as an example. The beautification of this section at the heart of the old town has led to an investment by private landlords in their buildings, upgrading of rental units, refurbishment of façades, beautification of the streetscape, opening of boutique businesses and the cropping up of destination street art. The natural extension of this project is towards Road to the Lines and the major historic and unique tourist attraction of the Northern Defences which are being steadily brought back from dereliction.

If seasoned developers cannot make the numbers work for them in making the holistic regeneration of Road to the Lines worth their while, what chance do less experienced owner/occupiers have? Tender conditions clearly place responsibility for removal of asbestos, connections to services, protection of occupied properties in the area, firmly in the hands of the tenderer. A timeline for release and allocation of properties would also help manage the risks and conflicting requirements of multiple owners at various stages of property renovation. An unfinished property next door can be a source of water penetration to an adjoining property. Will there be support for individuals aiming to restore a property in all good faith? An inexperienced owner in a complex site can lead to financial ruin. 

A longer-term vision and Area Plan for the district is well overdue with a view to beautification of the streetscape, paving, streetlighting and furniture that will help transform Road to the Lines into the area we know it has the potential to be.