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Urban Regeneration for Gibraltar’s Old Town The Gibraltar Heritage Trust welcomed recent announcements by Government of the redevelopment of the old St Bernard’s Hospital into a school and the new impetus given to the urban regeneration of Gibraltar’s old town.
The Sister’s Quarters have been saved from demolition
The hospital buildings have a significant heritage value both historically and visually and the Trust feels the project as proposed will preserve and enhance many features of this beautiful building in the heart of our old town. The Trust has worked with
government towards avoiding the demolition of the Sister’s Quarters at the southern end of the site as originally proposed in the initial schemes. The Trust maintains the view that the regeneration of these areas will provide new incentives to encourage families and businesses back into the old town and breathe life back into this area. The potential of linking up these streets with major untapped areas such as the Northern Defences, Grand Battery, and new routes into Casemates is immense in touristic and heritage terms. “Looking at these projects holistically, together with the long promised revised Heritage Protection Act and Town Planning Act it brings the promise of a new impetus to make use of and celebrate our local architecture, that which is so typically Gibraltarian, in the heart of old Gibraltar.” n
Revised Environmental Action & Management Plan released Government of Gibraltar has published a revised version of the Gibraltar Environmental Action & Management Plan. This document acts as a blueprint for the Government’s environmental policy and reflects the commitments and policy goals of the Government for the coming years.
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The plan has gone out to consultation with all Government departments and environmental NGO’s to ensure that it encompasses the views of all those who will be working to ensure its delivery. Notable changes in the new version of the document include specific chapters dedicated to development and planning issues, green buildings and traffic and transport, indicating
the Government’s increased awareness of the importance of these matters for effective environmental management. The revised plan also contains more tangible goals and timeframes within which these are to be delivered, looking forward as far as 2015. The plan is a live document and consequently will be reviewed and updated as circumstances require. In 2015 progress will be evaluated and
a new plan developed to carry Gibraltar forward to 2020. The revised EAMP is a more concise and accessible document which Government will use to guide its policy and decision making processes across all areas. n The full version of the revised EAMP is available on the Gibraltar Government website www.gibraltar.gov.gi
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JULY 2013