The comments made by the GSD once again demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of the realities involved in managing and conserving twentieth-century military heritage.

The World War II defensive structures recently catalogued by the Ministry for Heritage were inherited in varying states of deterioration and abandonment, many of them having never previously been systematically recorded, mapped, or publicly interpreted. The completion of this documentation initiative is therefore not an endpoint, but an important first step towards their long-term protection, management, and phased conservation.

It is important to understand that many wartime defensive positions were constructed rapidly during periods of emergency under the threat of invasion. They were often built using expedient construction methods and lower-grade wartime materials, with functionality and speed taking priority over longevity. Exposed to Gibraltar’s harsh coastal environment for more than eighty years, these structures are naturally susceptible to concrete degradation, corrosion, vegetation growth, and structural decay. This is a challenge faced internationally with World War II defensive heritage and not something unique to Gibraltar.

A particularly important point is that documentation itself is internationally recognised as a core heritage preservation measure. For vulnerable twentieth-century military structures, especially exposed concrete defensive positions, comprehensive surveying, mapping, photography, cataloguing, historical research, and inclusion within a Heritage Environment Record (HER) are often the first and most essential stages of any long-term conservation strategy. Prior to this initiative, many of these structures had never been properly recorded or interpreted for the public.

The project has therefore not only documented Gibraltar’s wartime defensive landscape for the first time in a coherent and systematic manner, but has also transformed previously unknown or inaccessible sites into publicly accessible heritage resources through research, interpretation, and online publication. The initiative is helping establish the foundations for future educational projects, heritage trails, interpretation panels, academic research, and wider public engagement with Gibraltar’s twentieth-century history.

It must also be recognised that many of these structures are non-designated heritage assets located in extremely difficult terrain, including cliff faces, exposed coastlines, military zones, and inaccessible locations subject to marine erosion, instability, vandalism, and severe weathering. Not every wartime defensive structure can realistically or safely be restored to museum condition, and responsible heritage management requires prioritisation, technical assessment, and phased intervention based on condition, significance, accessibility, and available resources.

The Government has nevertheless undertaken unprecedented work in the field of heritage conservation and interpretation in recent years. This includes major ongoing projects relating to the WWII Tunnels, the City Under Siege Exhibition, the Moorish Castle, the Northern Defences, interpretation panels across Gibraltar, the recording of military and civilian heritage assets, and the continuing development of Gibraltar’s Heritage Environment Record.

In relation to the 9.2-inch gun, the GSD conveniently ignores the fact that this asset was rescued by the Ministry for Heritage from what was effectively a rubbish dump environment, preventing its further deterioration and possible loss. Since then, a significant amount of work has been undertaken to assess the possibility of relocating the gun back to Levant Battery; an extremely complex logistical and engineering exercise involving transport, structural assessment, access limitations, conservation requirements, and interdepartmental coordination. Discussions regarding the future conservation and restoration of the gun are currently ongoing, and the Government hopes to be in a position to announce an agreement in due course.

Minister for Heritage, Prof. John Cortes, said: “The GSD once again attempts to reduce complex heritage management issues into simplistic political soundbites. The reality is that more work is currently being undertaken in the field of heritage protection, research, conservation, interpretation, and public accessibility than ever before. The cataloguing of Gibraltar’s WWII defensive landscape is itself a major achievement and forms part of a wider long-term strategy to ensure that these important historical assets are properly understood, protected, and appreciated by future generations. The GSD is simply out of its depth in understanding heritage management as in so much else.”