Demolition works application at Rooke site, with parcel office to remain for now

An application for the demolition of existing buildings on the former Rooke site at 20/22 Queensway has been filed with the Town Planner by the developer Carlton Properties Ltd.

The parcel post office is not included in the demolition application.

The demolition works are scheduled to start on site in the coming months once the application is debated and approved.

In June 2025 a full planning application for a mixed-use development comprising of residential, commercial, retail units and a park by Carlton Properties Ltd for the Queensway’s site gained approval unanimously when presented for debate at the Development and Planning Commission meeting. This followed on from outline approval in March 2024.

An Outline Demolition Method Statement (ODMS), filed with the demolition application and prepared by structural and civil engineer firm NOSA states that the site occupies 19,300 square metres of land between Queensway and Bishop Caruana Road and will provide about 100,000 square metres of multi-storey residential, office, retail and public amenity space.

The site currently contains a number of one and two-storey buildings, generally of steel frame or masonry and timber construction, including offices used by the Housing Works Agency, ancillary storage buildings, St John’s office, an ambulance vehicle shelter, perimeter walls, concrete platforms and other ancillary structures. Some of these will be fully demolished, while part of the south office building is to be retained.

“The building is internally partitioned into four separate office and storage units, currently occupied by (from North to South): Gib Parking Management (GPMSL), Gibraltar Electrical Authority (GEA), Unoccupied (Previously HWA), and Gibraltar Parcel/Post Office,” said the ODMS.

“Due to the structural system assumed to be a steel portal frame construction, and the building being located partially within and partially outside the remit of the development, a partial demolition can be carried out up to the frame closest to the site boundary (which would lie somewhere within the unused HWA section of the building).”

“This will allow the Post/Parcel office to continue use unimpeded.”

Regarding the St John’s Office Building it said that the building is partitioned into offices on the east side, occupied by St. John’s Ambulance for admin and training of medical personnel.
However the remaining majority of the building is unused workshop and storage space, previously owned by Housing Works. This will be entirely demolished.

The ODMS describes a phased approach combining a soft strip of non-structural elements with the demolition of structural components.

This includes the removal of all asbestos-containing materials by a specialist contractor, full soft-strip and clearance of the buildings, erection of hoarding around the perimeter, removal of prefabricated cladding and roof panels, and the provision of temporary structural support during the demolition sequence.

The works will take place primarily within the existing site boundary, there will be no lay-down areas or occupation of public roads and pavements unless specifically agreed with the authorities, and exclusion zones will be established around buildings being demolished to protect the public from debris.

Pedestrian access to the site will be via Admiral Rooke Road for the southern part of the site and the access road to Edinburgh Estate for the northern area.

Working hours are expected to run from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays, subject to any specific conditions imposed by the Development and Planning Commission. Any work outside those hours will require prior approval by the authorities.

In addition to the main building demolition, the plans filed also note, “demolition of the existing pedestrian pathway and cycle lane to be undertaken in accordance with the Highway Engineer’s drawings for a separate application.

“The extended site boundary encompasses the beautification, development and realignment of Bishop Caruana Road and cycle lanes, in accordance with the agreement with Technical Services Department / HM Government of Gibraltar,” the plans add.

The existing buildings structures are expected to be vacated by the Government no later than 12 months from the planning approval date on August 7 last year.

The application has yet to be debated by the Development and Planning Commission.

The closing date for public comments is March 2, 2026.