Dockyard gatehouse will be ‘sympathetically dismantled’

The dockyard gatehouse at the centre of a row over heritage will be “sympathetically dismantled” and rebuilt at another location, the Gibraltar Government and the Ministry of Defence announced yesterday.
The decision means the gatehouse, which dates back over a century, “will be protected for future generations”, the two said in a statement.
The MoD sparked controversy last month after insisting it would push ahead with plans to demolish the building against the advice of the Development and Planning Commission and the Gibraltar Heritage Trust.
The MoD said it needed room for six additional parking spaces, drawing flak from heritage advocates who warned a piece Gibraltar’s past could be lost forever.
While the building is relatively obscure, it is the last remaining gatehouse at the entrance to the dockyard and was the building where dockyard workers clocked in and out for each shift.
The government and the MoD said the building would be recorded, dismantled section by section with all parts catalogued and then stored.
“When the new location is finalised, the building will be re-assembled,” the statement said.
It did not clarify what location had been chosen but said more information would be made public as soon as possible, adding: “Further technical meetings will take place and the new build will be presented to the Development and Planning Commission.”
“This decision to salvage an important part of Gibraltar’s heritage clearly demonstrates the commitment of the Government of Gibraltar and the MoD to the Rock’s history and heritage.
“It also demonstrates the excellent working relationship between the Government and the Ministry of Defence, who will share the expense of this initiative,” the statement added, although it did not provide details of the overall cost.