Hammond and the Concrete Jungle

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 Thursday, March 28, 2019 - 10:44

For years now the GSLP Government have allowed an unrelenting pace of development to enfold our community; from the tip of Europa Point to the frontier and all points in between have been subjected to an unremitting barrage of construction with the community having to suffer the associated noise and dust pollution, often at all hours of the day and without regard to those who have to live in the vicinity, says the GSD. 

An adds: No one has been unaffected by this and there appears to be a lack of an overall plan. The need for open spaces is disregarded and every square inch of our community seems to be developed into high rise buildings. The GSD is committed to a planning regime which will save the few remaining open spaces for more considered use by the community and calls on Government to consider doing likewise.

HARSH

Trevor Hammond, GSD environment spokesman said “The GSLP in opposition were very harsh in their criticism of the pace of development under the previous administration and yet since being in office they have accelerated the pace to the point that the community is saturated with new buildings. There is no pause for breath, no consideration of people’s needs, indeed no consideration of the impact of so much development on people’s health as noise, dust, fumes from lorries and the loss of views and light impact our lives.

“Such factors are known causes of stress which in turn leads to other serious illnesses. What happened to the open spaces? It seems having built Commonwealth Park in what was technically already an open space, that is used to excuse all other need for space.

“Europa Point, one of the few places in Gibraltar that families could go to enjoy open space has now seen high rise development which will forever blight the views, a stadium which seems much larger than is surely necessary for our local needs and more development to come in the area.

"The town area has seen unceasing building activity, the roads have not been fixed for years and Government say they are waiting for construction to finish before commencing repairs but construction will never finish so will the roads will not be repaired. Last week we saw requests for expressions of interest for development at the reclaimed car park at Catalan Bay, more expensive buildings no doubt!

"Are we now to see the start of piecemeal development in this area? Our community has been turned into a concrete jungle in eight short years.”

28-03-19 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR