ESG Radio Newsletter 16th April 2015 – Key words: DPC, Football Stadium, LNG
We would like to focus our newsletter on a number of issues relevant to our local environment. Firstly- the next DPC meeting looms with a dizzying agenda of applications on demolitions, antennae installations and fresh construction proposals. Police Barracks, Flat Bastion Road, Marina Bay and Plata Villa are some of the projects to be discussed as well as a fresh round of mobile mast and other antennae installations. Knowing the public interest that exists in these projects we would like to remind those listening that the public are welcome to attend these sessions. Meeting takes place on Wednesday 22nd April as from 9.30am at the John Mackintosh Hall, Charles Hunt Room. The Marina Bay apartments and Super Yacht berthing facilities will once again have a dedicated meeting as from 2.00pm that same day. You can check the DPC agenda for details at: Town Planning Gibraltar, DPC link.
What isn’t up for discussion yet but is seeing on-going public debate by politicians and via the media, especially social media, is the issue of the Football Stadium at Europa Point. At our committee meeting this week it was agreed that we would re-issue our press statement on environmental concerns, published in March 2014, posed by this project, to set the record straight from our point of view. We believe the issues are not of design, or political, but of location with the many environmental impacts this could have: you can see traffic/pollution/gridlock/the brutal conversion of a valued unique and open landscape/ effects on the UNESCO bid, and much more, and it is crucial that the outcome of the last DPC meeting on this which directed the GFA to present information on an environmental impact assessment for this location, as well as on all alternatives considered, takes place, without further delay. This is a matter that concerns a great majority of our community. It is hoped that Gibraltar is mature enough to make the right decision on this and that the GFA can focus its energy on an appropriate site.
Another matter that has surfaced recently is that of LNG, that’s Liquid Natural Gas, ship-to-ship transfers, or STS’s. We have seen two take place so far and we have raised our concerns publicly on this new activity in our waters, which started without any prior warning, information or announcements made. Following on from televised debates in which we participated and discussions at the House on the safety risks posed by LNG as a fuel, and as storage, for the new power station, the sight of giant LNG tankers carrying out this new activity in our waters in the midst of the on-going debate truly beggars belief, however safe the authorities consider it to be. The publics concerns need to be responded to with facts and information and not simply assurances.
The ESG strongly believes there continues to be room for concerns and questions that need to be answered in respect of Gibraltar’s preparedness regarding an LNG incident and also and importantly, the economic benefits that LNG STS transfers brings our community today in light of additional safety risks they carry, however small some may consider these to be. Contrary to what has been said, this type of activity is not widely carried out.
Following meetings to be held with different authorities the ESG will issue further statements soon.
Thank you for listening. Please visit our website for all past press statements and news of our many campaigns. All Radio Newsletters are also published online: check this out at: esg-gib.net. Email us with any comments or questions at esg@gibtelecom.net
