What is Bob Peliza Mews, and what happened to the old Waterport power station?
Short answer
Bob Peliza Mews is a Government affordable housing estate of 482 homes being built at Waterport on the site of the old Waterport power station, which was decommissioned in December 2020 and demolished to make way for it. Phase one is due by the end of 2026, with the first phase two block expected in late 2027.
Detailed answer
Bob Peliza Mews is a Government affordable housing estate being built at Waterport, on the site of the old Waterport power station. It is named after Sir Robert (Bob) Peliza, Gibraltar's second Chief Minister, who held office from 1969 to 1972 and later served as Speaker of the House of Assembly.
How many homes
The estate was announced in 2017. In 2019 the Government said it would have 482 homes:
- 399 flats for sale, ranging from one to five bedrooms
- 83 purpose-built rented flats for the elderly
Buyers could purchase outright or on a 50/50 basis, with prices set using the same formula as Hassan Centenary Terraces. Applications opened in July 2019 and closed on Monday 30 September 2019.
What happened to the old power station
The site could only be cleared once the new LNG power station on the North Mole had taken over. Waterport Power Station, which first produced power in August 1982, was formally decommissioned in December 2020. The Gibraltar Electricity Authority handed the site over on Monday 1 November 2021, and a contract for the structural demolition of the old station was awarded in January 2023. By September 2023 the below-ground structures had been cleared and piling for the foundations was about to begin.
Construction progress
- Phase one: three blocks with 253 apartments. In May 2026 the Government said the contractor was adding resources to meet a completion date of the end of 2026.
- Phase two, first block: under construction after AquaGib vacated the southern part of its Waterport facility, and expected to finish in late 2027.
- Phase two, second block: can only start once AquaGib's northern facility is decommissioned and demolished, and is expected to take up to two years to build.