GFA issues statement as their dream turns into a nightmare by PANORAMA reporter The GFA appears to have been shaken by recent negative news and comments about the new stadium which they plan to have built at Europa Point. The controversy, which emerged after they made their sudden announcement about the new stadium, has further increased recently following statements from the Environmental Safety Group and the Heritage Trust. There was also, last week, a professionally-produced artists impression that suggested that the new stadium could fit in the Victoria Stadium site, without it affecting the tercentenary hall or other pitches there. This design was supplied to Panorama for favour of publication, which is what we did, and was met by a significant impact, including hundreds of comments in social media. Now, the Gibraltar FA have issued a lengthy statement to restate that the next stage of the project entails the construction of a Category 4 stadium, which is the minimum standard that a stadium has to meet if it is able to host senior international competitive matches, a dream that many in our community share with us. They add: The start of such an ambitious project is to submit an outline planning application to the Development and Planning Commission (DPC), which is the stage at which they currently find themselves. The outline planning application is a concept proposal, which in most cases is no more than an outline of a footprint on a suggested plot of land. The architectural form is at an embryonic stage, to be developed, should the principle of building in the area for such a purpose be approved. The end project will not necessarily look like the current images projected thus far, they say. As part of the planning application there is a legal requirement for the GFA to gazette the application and post a notice on the site allowing the public 21 days in which to write any objections to the town planning office. This period expired yesterday. The DPC will now study whether the use, location and proposed mass are acceptable. The GFA says it acknowledges that this is a significant project for our community. The GFA welcomes that the transparency with which it has acted has already generated a considerable public discussion in Gibraltar and the GFA embraces the fact that the public has engaged in this way. It would appear hat many people are precisely questioning the lack of transparency. The GFA says it is clearly sensitive to what is being said. It is also conscious of the fact that there is limited space in our homeland in which to locate such a significant building. It has, of course, considered a number of other locations in discussions with UEFA (who is financing the construction of the stadium), the Government, (who is providing the land identified by UEFA and the GFA as the best suited for the stadium) and the architect (who has extensive experience in the construction of stadia around Europe). We want Gibraltar as a whole to feel proud of what will be their National Stadium and we will take into account, to the greatest extent possible and reasonable, the concerns that have been expressed, they say.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 17:52:04 +0000
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