DPC approves Carrera’s Passage project with strong focus on sustainability and heritage 

The Development Planning Commission unanimously approved an application for a residential development in the heart of town, extending from Carrera’s Passage through to the site of the existing private car parking off Engineer Lane.  

The project was approved following extensive discussions on environmental and heritage considerations during a meeting of the DPC on Thursday.  

The approved scheme, which follows an earlier outline planning permission though reduced in height, provides for 21 family apartments with at least two bedrooms, as well as basement parking. 

 The site currently has at least 13 dilapidated properties in a stepped manner to the east, with each unit positioned higher than the one before it, following the natural incline of the Rock of Gibraltar. 

The application for full planning permission included an independently prepared 71-page heritage report outlining key heritage features on a site that could potentially harbor remains all the way to the pre-medieval period. 

The conditions for development include an archaeological watching brief in line with the recommendations of the heritage impact assessment. 

The Ministry for Heritage and the Gibraltar Heritage Trust both supported the development, provided that all recommended mitigation measures are implemented. 

Other conditions related to significant sustainability measures including a combination of on-site and off-site renewable energy installations, including photovoltaic (PV) panels at both the main site and Arengo’s Palace.  

The developer is required to submit a separate application for the off-site PV installation prior to the commencement of works, as well as a detailed solar panel report to finalise the energy generation strategy. 

Other conditions attached to the approval include the submission of a fire strategy, a comprehensive landscaping and maintenance plan, a sewage capacity assessment, and a final Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) that incorporates bat and bird surveys.  

The developer must also undertake a geotechnical assessment to ensure the stability of retaining walls during demolition and ensure dust and noise control measures during demolition of existing structures and construction. 

The Commission welcomed the developer’s engagement with stakeholders and the comprehensive nature of the submission.  

The Town Planner’s report recommended approval of the scheme and all members were agreed, subject to the outlined conditions.  

OTHER APPLICATIONS 

Other applications gaining approval included the Government project for the Gibraltar Electrical Authority at the ex-SES site on Lathbury Road.  

The proposed development includes workshops, offices, and storage facilities for the GEA, which will be relocating from Queensway due to a planned mixed-use development on that site. 

Concerns were raised by some members of the DPC about the building's colour scheme and lack of landscaping.  

Following its report and taking on board these concerns, the Town Planner, Paul Naughton Rumbo, recommended approval with conditions to review the colour scheme and introduce additional landscaping.  

Everyone agreed with this recommendation and voted unanimously in favour of the project.  

The DPC also discussed a three-story semi-detached house no 8 on South Barrack Mews, adjacent to the former King George V hospital.  

Proposed works include installing a sliding fire door, constructing a new counter wall and raising the boundary wall.  

An objector to the scheme, a neighbour, cited concerns regarding fire safety, structural integrity, and design inconsistencies.  

The applicant agreed to reinstate the timber fence and address other concerns.  

There were no objections from the usual consulted parties such as technical services.  

And the Town Planners report recommended the scheme be approved. The members agreed with this assessment and permission was granted unanimously.  

Another application that gained unanimous approval was for Unit 14, South Dockyard Approach, where permission was sought for a proposed extension to the building.  

In June 2024, a retrospective application for an extension was refused due to its unsatisfactory design and lack of proper permits.  

Following discussions with the applicant, a new application for a brickwork single-story extension was submitted, addressing the previous issues.  

The revised design was considered a modest and sensitive improvement over the unauthorised works and the  application was unanimously approved, subject to conditions on materials, finishes, and an archeological watching brief. 

The members also discussed and granted unanimous approval for an application for the refurbishment and change of use of a four-story mixed-use building at 123 Main Street.  

This proposal included a contemporary roof extension and conversion of the first and second floors to residential units, totaling 12 new homes. The building will keep its commercial units on the ground floor.  

The application faced no objections but it does require modifications to the roof design to align with the surrounding area. A revised plan must include a mono-pitch roof and other design adjustments and based on this the application was recommended for in-principal approval. Approval was granted unanimously.  

A site currently used for car parking at 84 Queensway Quay had its application for a two-story building with PV panels rejected.  

Given its location in the historic naval Dockyard warehouses concerns were raised about the cumulative impact on historic buildings and the precedent set by a taller, unauthorised building nearby.  

With the negative effects on the dockyard's heritage the application was recommended for refusal by the Town Planner. Nine members agreed with this assessment and one member abstained. The project did not gain approval as a result.  

Another application that did not gain approval was for a sandwich board on Main Street that would advertise a business at 4/4 Crutchett’s Ramp.  

All members agreed with the Town Planner’s assessment that approval should not be granted.  

In the case of the application for House 13, St Christopher's Court St Christopher's Alley all members agreed once again with the Town Planners assessment, which recommended against the proposed balcony and roof terrace for a development due to concerns about disrupting the architectural integrity of the inner courtyard.  

They suggested the applicant revise plans to limit the ground floor extension within the existing patio, maintain the timber fence, and ensure the extension is subordinate to the main dwelling.  

As a result, the modification order was approved unanimously, as long as the applicant complied with these changes.  

One of two applications that were put to a vote when members could not agree unanimously was for 2-3 Humphrey’s Bungalows.  

The application was for a five-story residential dwelling on Engineer Road, adjacent to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.  

The site, which had previously been approved for a development, had an application for a single home with parking and staff quarters.   

There were concerns from some members regarding the scale of the excavation and works required, the loss of greenery, and the preservation of a historic obelisk.  

Despite the objections from some members, the application was approved by a majority vote, with the Town Planner, Mr Naughton Rumbo, having the deciding vote when five were in favour and five against.  

The applicant will need to conduct a full heritage assessment, file a landscaping plan, and provide detailed excavation methods. 

The other application was for the plans to convert Unit 12 Casemates Square from a beauty parlour to a nursery was also discussed and gained approval, with eight members in favour, one against and one abstaining.  

The DPC were told that the nursery would operate Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm term time, with a capacity for around 50 children.  

The approval is subject to conditions, which included detailed internal plans, heritage review, predictive energy assessment, and signage approval.