Alliance sets out heritage programme

The GSLP/Liberal Alliance is the only party to provide a secured and valued heritage, Alliance candidate Dr John Cortes asserted yesterday as he set out the party’s electoral proposals.

After highlighting heritage developments in the past two terms Dr Cortes said the Alliance ‘Green Gibraltar’ manifesto will deliver more for Gibraltar than any other.

Key Alliance plans for the next parliamentary term if re-elected include the Mount becoming a public leisure area, an adventure park in the Northern Defences, increasing the potential of the Tower of Homage and the Moorish castle complex and the ‘Walk the Wall’ along the Line Wall.

In addition, the party plans to restore abandoned World Wars II structures, convert the old military structures on the Upper Rock into interpretation points and a schools field centre and create a Naval and Military Museum at the old Fortress Headquarters.

It also vowed to protect Rosia Bay, to create an archive/museum of the Gibraltarian identity, and to create new parks along Queensway to enhance the majesty of the walls and continue to renew the upper Town.

Asked if this plan was achievable in the next four years Dr Cortes he said: “They could all be started in the next four years, some are bigger than others. I think the Northern Defences has already advanced a lot so that is achievable.”

“I think the Mount is achievable in four years, the Moorish Castle would have to be a longer-term project because it is a massive area but links up very nicely with the Northern Defences.”

“But other than that, the parks are certainly achievable within a couple of years, so I think yes, yes,” he added.

GSLP Leader Fabian Picardo said: “There is nothing in particular here which we don’t envisage will be started and substantially finished outside the four year period other than the long term projects.”

“The long term projects are as far as we are concerned whilst we are in government will continue and we have to respect the fact that a future government may change them,” he added.