How has Gibraltar grown through reclamation?

Short answer

Gibraltar has added significant land by reclaiming it from the sea, creating space for housing, business and infrastructure. Westside and the Eastside reclamation are the largest examples, and a new reclamation in the inner harbour has been agreed.

Detailed answer

With very little natural flat land, Gibraltar has long relied on reclaiming land from the sea to house its population and grow its economy. Reclaimed areas such as Westside now hold large housing estates, offices, shops and leisure facilities.

Eastside

The Eastside reclamation on the eastern shoreline is being developed by TNG Global Foundation under an agreement with HM Government of Gibraltar. TNG completed the lease of the site in 2023, paying the Government £90 million, after obtaining outline planning permission for a mixed-use district with homes, a marina, shops and public spaces. The works include removing the large rubble tip that dominated the area and building coastal protection along the shore.

The project has drawn criticism from Spain, where prosecutors have filed a complaint in a Spanish court alleging environmental harm and questioning Gibraltar's jurisdiction over the waters. The Government of Gibraltar maintains that the project lies entirely within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and complies with local and EU environmental rules.

Inner harbour

In January 2025, the Government signed Heads of Terms with TNG Global Foundation for a new reclamation of about 47,000 square metres in the northern half of the inner harbour, along the front of the Westside reclamation. TNG will meet the cost in exchange for part of the new land, and the Government will keep the larger share to build its next programme of affordable housing. This reclamation will, as set out by the Government of Gibraltar, have only affordable housing built on it, in addition to other amenities. The area of Waterport has seen massive concentration of residential properties in the last nearly 40 years which, with the addition of new homes in the area of the port, will add further pressure on infrastructure.

Victoria Keys

Victoria Keys is a separate reclamation inside Gibraltar Harbour near Coaling Island, intended to create land for residential and commercial development as part of wider harbour regeneration. This reclamation is currently under way and can be observed best from the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, giving a good view of its footprint.

Why it matters

The Government's position is that Gibraltar must continue to expand to house its own people, and reclamation has provided homes for many residents over the decades.