a secure and prosperous future

Our Policy

Our sound policies have brought both economic stability and an improved quality of life to all Gibraltarians.

Gibraltar is safer, politically, internationally, socially and economically than ever before. The GSD will continue to meet the challenges that have afforded us the success that we enjoy today.

Culture and Heritage

GSD policy seeks to put culture and heritage, with both of which Gibraltar is richly endowed, at the centre of life in Gibraltar. They are a vital part of our identity as a people and of our country. What is more, GSD policy recognises that collective interest in our heritage and collective and individual pursuit of activities connected to our culture enhances the quality of life and promotes community spirit and cohesion. Until the GSD formed government in Gibraltar there was no coordinated or dedicated approach to culture and heritage within Government.

The GSD policy focus on culture has two dimensions: physical amenities and events/activities.

 

Physical culture amenities provided include:

  • • The building of the Retreat Centre at Lathbury Barracks

  • • The refurbishment of the Retrenchment Block at Lathbury Barracks, the Garrison Recreation Rooms and the Old Bakery in Town Range as premises for clubs and associations

  • • The refurbishment of Inces Hall

  • • The establishment of art gallery and exhibition halls at Casemates

  • • The takeover and refurbishment of the Central Hall, and its use as a cultural and community activities centre

  • • The take over from MOD of the Garrison Library

Our policy is to continue to provide quality cultural facilities in Gibraltar, recognising that culture enhances the quality of life and of society. So we will continue to invest in this important area.

Current projects in hand include:

  • • An art centre at Orange Bastion (under construction)

  • • A music academy at Plata Villa (under design)

  • • A dedicated multi purpose indoor arena (pending closure of MOD power station)

But the core of our culture policy remains a project to build a new theatre, plans for which will be announced very soon and also to establish a holistically developed and run culture centre at the sites of Key and Anchor and John Mackintosh Hall.

The GSD policy is to enhance the number, regularity, variety and quality of cultural events and activities provided either directly by Government or by others financially and otherwise supported by Government and by a number of other policy initiatives including:

  • • Organisation of numerous concerts and art exhibitions

  • • National Week cultural events

  • • Spring & Autumn Arts & Culture Festivals

  • • Annual “Calentita” cultural street party

  • • Funding or other support major international events such as annual chess tournament, dog show, dance championships etc

  • • Festive National Day format and multiple events

  • • Introduction of community New Year celebrations at Casemates

  • • Accumulation through market purchases abroad of historical Gibraltar related art work

  • • Tenfold increase in expenditure on cultural activities

  • • Funding for locally written books relating to Gibraltar

  • • Financial support to individuals for cultural study abroad

The GSD’s Heritage policy has been and continues to be based on reversing the historical abandonment of our huge wealth of physical heritage through a twin track approach based firstly on retrieving and restoring our physical heritage and then either putting it to a modern life use or simply allowing it to constitute a centrepiece of our ever improving and more attractive urban landscape and environment. Large and unprecedented sums of money have been spent and invested on this policy.

This approach has been applied to very obvious beneficial effect in numerous instances:

 

  • • Casemates Square (leisure and commercial area)

  • • King’s Bastion (leisure centre)

  • • Orange Bastion/ Chatham Counterguard (commercial area/new road)

  • • Landport Ditch/ North Bastion (parking facilities)

  • • Retrenchment Block at Lathbury Barracks (quality premises for clubs and Associations)

  • • Restoration of World War 2 Tunnels (tourism)

  • • Restoration of Moorish Baths (tourism)

  • • Restoration of King Charles V Wall (tourism)

  • • Beautification of Trafalgar/ Ragged Staff area (traffic, parking &urban beautification)

  • • Vacation of prison from Moorish Castle and its restoration (tourism)(in progress)

  • • Restoration of Mediterranean Steps (tourism, leisure, environment)

  • • Restoration of old residential buildings in Upper Town, e.g. Calpe Barracks, and buildings in Castle Street and Flat Bastion Road(housing)

  • • Exposure of historical facade, demolition of subsequent out buildings and refurbishment and restoration of old St Bernard’s Hospital (elderly care residence and school)

  • • Beautification and restoration of many of our historical streets and squares (urban beautification)

Our policy approach will continue to see our physical heritage both as a thing of inherent value and also a valuable asset for both our economy and urban environment, able to be successfully retrieved, restored and used to enhance our quality of life, as well as ensuring its sensitive preservation for future generations.