The New Gibraltar Development Plan

The Town Planning Department team with Planning consultants Lichfields are reviewing the existing Gibraltar Development Plan 2009, the Old Town Plan and the Old Town Design Guide. We are also working on the preparation of the new development plan for Gibraltar that will be shaping the city we live in for the next 15 years and map out strategic land uses. The new plan is going to slightly differ from the previous, as it will comprise a new design guide for the wider area of the Devils Tower Road and a Tall Building Guide for Gibraltar.

Frequently Asked Questions - Development Plan

What is the Gibraltar Development Plan?

The Development Plan will shape the future of Gibraltar. It will show where new development should go and how it should be built so that Gibraltar can provide new housing, support businesses and new jobs, and secure infrastructure improvements over the next 15 years. In doing so, it will need to protect and improve Gibraltar’s unique heritage and valuable environment and biodiversity.

Once completed and adopted by the Government, planning applications will be expected to be in accordance with the policies in the Development Plan. 

Without a Development Plan, there would be a risk that developments are approved that did not adequately meet Gibraltar’s needs (e.g. for housing or employment) or fully consider environmental, heritage and climate change issues.

Doesn’t Gibraltar already have a Development Plan?

The existing Development Plan for Gibraltar was published in 2009 and comprises three documents: 

• The Development Plan 2009 Parts I & II – a written statement containing general and area-specific policies and proposals; 
• The Old Town Plan
• The Old Town Design Guide.

Why does Gibraltar need a new Development Plan?

Gibraltar has seen significant change since the last Development Plan was published in 2009. Changes in its buildings, population, economy, and natural environment mean a new Development Plan needs to manage the current and future needs of Gibraltar.

The new Development Plan will manage development and physical change in coordination with other policies and programmes across Government to achieve sustainable growth and economic development.

How will the Development Plan affect me?

The Development Plan will guide new development in Gibraltar over the next 10-15 years.  The Development Plan will also help deliver the Government’s commitments in terms of the climate change, environment, infrastructure and transport for example.  It will help protect Gibraltar’s heritage and natural environment by directing the right kind of development to the right places.  The Development Plan could therefore affect everybody in some way.

How will the Development Plan affect all of these issues?

The Government’s Town Planning officers make recommendations to the Development Planning Commission (DPC) who decide planning applications for new development.  Planning applications for new development proposals will be judged against the policies and provisions of the Development Plan.  

Planning applications can affect how land and buildings are used and how infrastructure (like roads, schools, and utilities) are developed. They can also address important issues like housing availability, job opportunities, and environmental protection and climate change.

The Development Plan will therefore help the DPC make consistent, informed decisions on planning applications that align with an agreed vision for how Gibraltar will be in the future.

What will the new Development Plan include?

The Development Plan will set out the vision, objectives and strategic policies for Gibraltar for the next 15 years, including:

• Shaping decisions on development, aiming to ensure that Gibraltar meets housing, employment and other development needs;
• Allocating land and property for new development, where it is needed;
• Proposing policies to preserve Gibraltar’s heritage, natural environment and protect its economic interests;
• Setting out clearly what will be expected of applicants when they submit planning applications;
• Helping prioritise the delivery of new infrastructure; and
• Supporting wider objectives for Gibraltar, such as Housing, Transport, Public Health, Economic strategy and its approach to mitigating climate change

How can I get involved with the preparation of the Development Plan?

Once a draft of the new Development Plan is ready, there will be a two month long public consultation later in 2025. This will allow everyone to share their opinions, suggestions, and concerns about the proposed policies and how Gibraltar could change in the future.

What are the stages of the Development Plan?

The contract to review and prepare a new Development Plan was awarded to Lichfields in Summer 2024 and work began in October 2024. To date, the team has been meeting with various stakeholders to talk about what policies the new Development Plan should include and how sustainable growth can be achieved.

A public consultation is planned for later in 2025, after which changes will be made to the Development Plan and then considered for approval and adoption by the Government. More information is provided in the illustration below.

Overview of the development plan preparation stages

What is the guidance for Devil’s Tower Road and for Tall Buildings?

As part of the work on the Development Plan, guidance for Devil’s Tower Road area and guidance for the development of tall buildings are being prepared. 

These will provide developers with clear design principles and set out the Government’s expectations in terms of proposals for new development in the Devil’s Tower Road area (see below the area this guidance will cover) and tall buildings when these are proposed in Gibraltar.

Devil’s Tower Road is the main thoroughfare into Gibraltar from the airport and the Frontier and has an important role to play in defining Gibraltar’s identity and sense of place. The Guidance is looking at ways to enhance the environment of this key gateway and provide a framework for high-quality, sustainable, and innovative design. 

The Tall Buildings Guidance will provide a framework for the location of tall buildings in Gibraltar and how they should be designed to take account of heritage and landscape sensitivities and views.

Both Guidance documents will be consulted on at the same time as the Development Plan later in 2025.

The area of the Devil’s Tower Road Design Guidance