Government has announced that the rubble tip on the eastern side of Gibraltar, between Eastern Beach and Catalan Bay, is now full and will no longer receive any rubble. The main users of this service were notified in January by the Technical Services Department who have managed the site throughout.

The position until now has been that developers and construction companies have been able to deposit rubble on the east side at no cost. This will change going forward and as a result they will be expected to make their own arrangements to pay for the disposal of rubble as happens in other countries. The Government says it will not provide the service itself, but understands that a number of private companies are in the process of securing the relevant documentation which will allow for the export of rubble elsewhere.

These new arrangements for the disposal of rubble from the construction industry will not affect the disposal of rubble arising from small private home improvement projects such as bathroom renovations. This can continue to be deposited at the existing waste recycling facility at Europa Advance Road.

The Ministry for the Environment have been assisting the Chief Technical Officer of the Government and the Technical Services Department to identify a plot at which rubble can be accumulated prior to export. A temporary location has been identified where the old incinerator was located on Europa Advance Road which is already controlled by the Environment Department, and one such commercial entity has been allowed to start to accumulate rubble there. Government has said it wants to make clear that the ownership of the site and of the land remains with the Government. 'These steps have been taken in view of the urgent need to continue to provide for rubble disposal, even if at a cost, so that the building and construction industry can continue to operate.'

The objective is to prevent the accumulation of rubble in close proximity to residential areas on existing sites owned, occupied or operated by the relevant commercial interests.

Government also said that the current temporary arrangements will be reviewed going forward.