The Government has responded to claims about the planned Westside reclamation, saying the project will provide affordable housing while preserving the GASA bathing pavilion and expanding the children’s park.

A statement from the Government follows below:

HM Government of Gibraltar notes the false rumours and misinformation circulating regarding the planned Westside reclamation, and takes this opportunity to reassure residents and users of the area. 

The reclamation is necessary for and will only be used for the purpose of the development of affordable homes for a cross-section of Gibraltarians, the initial plans for which will be published very soon. These affordable homes are for the long-term benefit of our growing community, and will give current and future generations of Gibraltarians the same opportunities as were given to those who benefitted from the affordable homes enabled by previous reclamations in the same area. 

As explained in January when the initial announcement was made, this reclamation, in keeping with the original designs for Europort in the 1980s, has been designed to preserve the area of the GASA bathing pavilion. Regular users can therefore be reassured that there will be no loss to the bathing pavilion as a result of the reclamation.  

The existing children’s park will also be expanded as part of the final development. In order to mitigate the impact of the works on the area’s children, the park will be relocated whilst construction takes place so there will be no loss whatsoever to the area’s recreational facilities as a result of the development.  

The Government urges residents of the Westside area, and indeed the public as a whole, to ignore the misinformation being spread by a small cohort of objectors who are putting their own personal interests and agendas ahead of the interests of the community they claim to care about.