Gibraltar South District Association

PRESS RELEASEThe South District Association supports fully the action taken by the owners of the Rosia Cottages in the Supreme Court, as they seek to protect the property rights granted to them under leases entered into with the Government of Gibraltar.In view of the fact that this matter is being dealt with through the Courts, the SDA cannot understand how the Chief Minister is able to support the launch by OEM International Limited of Nelson's View and openly encourage the sale of these homes given that there is a legal action now before the Supreme Court.  This action, which has been taken against the Government, could prevent the developers from building on this site altogether.Further it is astounded by reports that appeared in the media recently that the Government has known of this situation since December 2005 and did not address these matters prior to issuing OEM outline planning consent and a full demolition permit.  As a result the SDA calls on the Government to suspend the sale of these homes immediately and to halt the demolition of the Water Tanks until the outcome of this legal action is known.Given the new understanding that the Chief Minister has reached about the heritage value of these tanks, it would be perverse to contemplate a situation in which these are demolished but Nelson's View cannot then be built.  This would in effect deliver a "double whammy", depriving Gibraltar of a historic site and not providing the planned "affordable" homes to Gibraltarians.  It would create a new hole to match the one that now exists at the Theatre Royal. The Government, by suspending the demolition until the outcome of the case is known, could then use the lull in the works to instruct its Heritage Division to undertake a full architectural, historical and archaeological survey on what's left of the Rosia Water Tanks. 

SOUTH DISTRICT ASSOCIATION