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SOTOGRANDE GLISTENS
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Oasis of calm
Discover the jewel tucked away on the Andalucian coast in our supplement
has blossomed Once simply farmland, Sotogrande privately owned residential into Andalucia’s largest Kuner development, writes Dilip
A
wealthy and faHAVEN for the discreetly as a beacon of mous, Sotogrande stands luxury on the Cadiz coast. location and With a scene-stealing science not surprising that this is founder of the eponymous man in near-perfect weather, it’s Park, a prestigious co dealer, once the richest places to live. overseen the creation of Forbes this and arts institution and one of Spain’s most desirable Sol west towards the fa- Philippine property development. Inspired by on Spain. It seemed fated for grander use – and Head down the Costa del its exclusivity and Jebel Musa it ticked the boxes. success, he dreamt of replicating mous pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar without eventually come to Soto- the Mediterranean. bought the land at Sotogrande in Morocco) and you will his cousin, Alfredo “We seen it, like a pig in a poke,” said Mchaving In 1962, McMicking tasked grande. Sotogrande is where ‘Fredy’ Melian, with finding the perfect location. Af- Mickling, speaking in 1967. “Paid $750,000 Roughly 100km from Malaga, by motorbike, largely on dirt down and had to pay another third in six types move to upgrade. business moguls and A-List extraordinary transfor- ter exploring the region estate Melian discovered an 1800-hectare months and the rest in a year.”nephews, Jaime The mastermind behind the of privilege, where roads,Gibraltar. with his near of McMicking arrived work on mation from farm to an enclave have a yacht (or at least The farmland had been owned by a succession Zobel (Enrique had overseen palace) most people seem to have the Larios fami- and Enrique 1,788-room Joseph McMicArcos, of Brunei’s of Duke the Sultan – the American-Filipino, famous the friend his rich and a rhib), was March, arms and tobacly and then financier Juan king. Corporation, he had As president of the Ayala
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Vol. 8 Issue 229 www.theolivepress.es August 7th - August 20th 2024
Cars for a cause
LUXURY cars raced down the airport runway last weekend to fundraise for the SSAFA Armed Forces charity. ‘A Driving Force’ saw 70 people and 35 vehicles take part in the event, part of a 10-day journey across Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar. The road trip, which ends on Friday, aims to raise £120,000 for SSAFA. In Gibraltar, the events included a remembrance service for military personnel at
Trafalgar Cemetery. The charity is run by ex-servicemen Benn Laidler and Steve Shaw after they realised military personnel needed more support to cope with traumatic life changes, injury and loss. They have been fundraising since 2012 with driving events across the UK and mainland Europe. In that time they have raised over three quarters of a million pounds, which goes to charities supporting ex-servicemen and women. In 2022, the event raised a huge £173,000.
‘LAND GRAB’ LAND reclamation is set to begin on Gibraltar’s controversial 150,000 sqm Eastside marina project this month. It will see the addition of a sprawling port and commercial park which will transform the character of the Rock and the surrounding waters on the Mediterranean side. A floating barge has been stationed for the purposes of filling in rocks and other debris which will be used to create the new development. The Gibraltar Port Authority advised vessels operating in the waters that it will be lit and manned during the night. “Maritime users (including paddle boards, kayaks, etc) are requested to keep clear of the work,” it added. The month-long land reclamation will pave the way for the construction of luxury apartments, offices, a shop-
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Works begins to reclaim land off Gibraltar’s east coast for new marina development – as Spanish protests pipe up to claim all the waters around the Rock as theirs By Walter Finch
ping centre and restaurants as well as a new marina that could add €3bn of economic value to the territory. The €330 million project will also add parks, playgrounds, and community centres to Gibraltar’s less-populated eastern side. The land refill is set to utilise the rubble pile that has long been an eyesore near the Hassans Centenary Towers. However, activists – both Gibraltar residents and Spanish ecologists – have been quick to decry the potential damage and destruction that the
project will do to protected wildlife habitats on Gibraltar’s eastern side. Spain’s Ecologists in Action has claimed that the rubble, which was dug up to build the Kingsway Tunnel, contains traces of aviation fuel, heavy metals and petrochemicals. Protests over the Eastside project have also been growing in Spain. Algeciras’ combative mayor and PP senator Jose Ignacio Landaluce has raised the issue in Madrid. “How does the Spanish Government intend to defend compliance with environmental regulations, not only national, but also those of the European Union, and protect the citizens of Campo de Gibraltar in this regard?" Landaluce has asked. Landaluce also believes that the
BIG PROJECT: How the Eastside marina project will look once work is completed. Land reclamation should start this month land reclamation off the coast of Gibraltar is happening in Spanish territorial waters, and demanded to know if his own government believes the development violates the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht.
Tunnel moans CONTAMINATED earth dug up to build the Kingsway tunnel under Gibraltar’s runway may end up in landfills in Spain, according to an environmental group. Verdemar Ecologistas en Acción claim that tonnes of rubble that has been lying dormant near the Hassan Cente*Data extracted from process closure surveys after using our roadside assistance andnary breakdown services. have been transported to Towers See pages 14 & 16 an old quarry near Los Barrios. *Data extracted from process closure surveys after using our roadside assistance and breakdown services. The waste treatment centre at the forTheOlivePress-256x170-Multi2404.indd 1 mer Arenas de Castrillon mine is in-
LUXURY: The development is designed to rival Marbellas’s Puerto Banus
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tended to produce recycled aggregate from Gibraltar’s demolition jobs ‘in such a way that it serves to improve the living conditions of its inhabitants and strengthen good relations between Spain and the United Kingdom.’ The environmentalists assert that demolition materials contain aviation fuel, heavy metals and petrochemicals, which the treatment centre is unable to handle. It is thought that the recycled aggregate produced at this centre will then be used to reclaim land as part of Gi2/4/24 11:56 braltar’s East Side project. 2/4/24 11:56
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