Keywords: DPC / Queens Cinema / The Reserve / Plastic Cartridges / Recycling / Energy Globe award for CUTW!!
A few issues to highlight today as the summer period continues. In the past few weeks, at a regular, and then special, DPC session, applications have been discussed, agreed or deferred, some of these making news headlines. To start with there was a change of use regarding the end of a long standing and one of our few light industries, which is the glass factory. This site will now be converted to a new bank. Provisos were given as it passed through the initial outline planning stage and detailed discussion took place. Another project discussed and agreed was the demolition of the Queens Cinema, another link to our recent past. This end of chapter for this building was also given the go ahead albeit with a number of caveats to record heritage elements of value prior to demolition. The public response to the loss of this building brings sharply into focus the how and the why of planning in Gibraltar and how it is in constant flux. News then that the next Development Plan is being outsourced in order for this to be produced and go through all the hoops as expediently as possible is welcomed by the ESG. This means that during public consultation, the public, that’s all of us, have a chance to try and influence how Gibraltar is developed. Frameworks exist but must be improved and in a small place like Gibraltar, where planning is understandably contentious, this is highly critical.
We issued a press release this week regarding The Reserve – a large, high end apartment block presented to DPC once more at the site of the old casino. Given the unique setting of this site the ESG will continue to lobby for a more appropriate development that will respect and maintain the dynamics of the natural environment in this particular area.
Moving on to other matters and we wanted to state that we share concerns over the appearance of a high volume of plastic cartridge material washing up on our shores produced by a local shooting club. Despite the commendable efforts by all those involved in the Island Games to reduce env impacts from plastics and bottled water, this new plastic hazard has appeared with the games and must be stopped. Gibraltar has managed to run such activities by using more environmentally friendly, soluble, materials so the fact this has happened during a “Clean our Seas”, high profile, sporting event, raises serious questions. Its use must be banned and the clearing up of any remaining items undertaken before any further spread occurs.
But good news regarding the giant fish at eastern beach! After a mere couple of weeks this enormous structure was ¾’s full…. Of the right material!!! Clearly a good and bad thing as we realise just how much single use, disposal plastics we use on a day to day basis, even at the beach!! Still better in the fish than landfill or worse still in the seas. We are told that other such structures are planned for different beaches.
The ESG is honoured to have been presented with a national Energy Globe Award for the long standing CUTW campaign we have run since 2005 and for our efforts to work on local and regional pollution. Selected from over 2,000 projects, and alongside a few hundred others, this community wide campaign caught the attention of this prestigious body whose efforts serve to draw attention internationally of sustained, grassroots environmental projects carried out by NGOs around the world. The Gibraltar community should be proud of their incredible support and efforts for this campaign that has made it the success it is.
Finally, a quick word on the 5G issue. The ESG is following this matter up with Government and industry to ensure that safety, above all else is prioritised and will be issuing a separate statement on this very soon.
Please visit our website at esg-gib.net for all our press releases and more.
Stay cool and keep recycling!!
