Govt and TNG say Eastside breakwater has little visual impact from Catalan Bay

The Gibraltar Government and TNG Global Foundation, the developer of the Eastside development, insisted on Thursday that a breakwater to protect the project’s marina will not impact the neighbouring beach at Catalan Bay.

They were responding after both the Catalan Bay Senior Committee and the GSD raised concerns over the past week that the breakwater would in effect stretch the full length of the beach.

The project’s own plans show that the southernmost point of the breakwater, when plotted on a map, is opposite the rock known as La Mamela.

But both the Government and TNG said the issue was one of perspective and that, when the natural curve of the beach is factored in, beachgoers will continue to enjoy uninterrupted views of the horizon.

They stressed too that the final 100m section of the breakwater is a low-lying revetment rather a quay wall, further mitigating its visual impact.

“When the coordinates - as per official project plans - are plotted on a map and compared against the outline of the Rock, the marina arm appears to reach the southernmost point of the bay, giving the impression that it completely intrudes in the sea view from Caleta beach,” No.6 Convent Place said in a statement.

“However, this is not the case.”

“In reality, the beach itself does not run on a strict north-south axis, but at a slight diagonal angle.”

“Once that angle is taken into account and an accurate perpendicular line is drawn, it is clear that the marina arm only extends minimally beyond the northernmost part of the beach.”

“The diagonal angle and orientation of the beach means that anyone looking out to sea from Catalan Bay will not have their natural view obstructed by the revetment.”

The Government said the impact of the breakwater had been “deeply considered” and incorporated into plans for the wider development, which will include provisions to “recharge beach material” to further adjust the orientation of the beach and adapt to changes on incoming wave direction and flow circulation.

No.6 said this “recharging” will enhance the beachgoing experience and further mitigate the visual impact of the breakwater from the shoreline.

“Following the natural line of sight outfrom the shoreline,the orientation of the beach will mean that the visual impacts of the revetment will be barely noticeable,” it said.

And it added: “The issue that has been wrongly highlighted as a catastrophic intrusion to Catalan Bay is one of geographical perspective, and appears to be based on a misunderstanding of how the design is represented on paper.”

A similar point was underlined by TNG, which issued a series of artist’s impressions of what the completed scheme will look like viewed from various points on the beach.

“In relation to the length and visual impact of the outer breakwater, any line superimposed on a map purporting to indicate how far the outer breakwater might affect views from the beach should be drawn perpendicular to the shoreline, and not at an angle, so that it accurately represents both the true visual impact and its extent,” TNG said in a statement.

“If the line used to demarcate the length of the breakwater is not drawn perpendicular to the coastline, it can unfortunately create a misleading interpretation of the breakwater’s actual length, scale and visual impact, causing unnecessary concern to residents of, and visitors to, Catalan Bay, and to the wider community.”

TNG said it had acted throughout in full compliance with the procedures and requirements established by the Town Planning Department and the conditions imposed on the project by the Development & Planning Commission, and would continue to do so.

TNG said it had a close relationship with all relevant officials, ensuring works are carried out precisely as they have been authorised.

It strongly rejected any suggestion that DPC members had been misled during a site visit to help assess the scale and impact of the breakwater.

During the visit, a boat was positioned consistent with the plans submitted for the planning application to demarcate the proposed southernmost point of the breakwater.

“The members of the DPC rightly drew comfort from this exercise, and TNG’s planning application was approved,” TNG said in the statement.

“TNG has been transparent at every stage of what, by its very nature, is necessarily a comprehensive process, and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance and community engagement.”

Concerns about the Eastside project had flared up in recent days following public statements from the Catalan Bay Senior Committee and separately the GSD.

Some of those concerns related to the environmental impact of the development on water quality and marine life.

TNG reiterated that two Environmental Impact Assessments [EIAs] were prepared and duly approved by the DPC as part of the planning application process.

“TNG continues to implement the project strictly in accordance with the approved EIAs, under close monitoring and oversight by the Department of Environment,” it said, adding the EIAs were openly available on the Town Planning website.

“The TNG Global Foundation remains dedicated to ensuring that the Eastside development delivers lasting social, economic and environmental value, while respecting the natural environment, the planning process and the sensitivities surrounding the beach at Catalan Bay.”

No.6 Convent Place echoed that position and said the plans approved by the DPC, when considered holistically, were designed specifically to preserve and enhance Catalan Bay, “bringing new life to the area, enriching the marine environment and offering protection from the winter storms that have razed the shoreline in recent years”.

It said the EIA for the coastal protection works was the first consideration and a condition of the agreement for the entire scheme.

The Government said it remained committed to ensuring that the Eastside project delivered long-term environmental and social benefits, while respecting the natural beauty of Gibraltar’s coastline.

It urged the public to consider the technical detail carefully and to be guided by fact rather than misconception, adding the issue had been “heavily politicised” by the Opposition “seeking to make political capital out of the genuine strong cultural and social attachments of the public to Catalan Bay”.