No sell out
THE FESTIVE COUNTDOWN BEGINS - FROM PAGE 11 the
olive press
EXCLUSIVE FOR decades it has been one of modern society’s biggest travesties. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of edible food is binned by supermarkets across Europe while the poor, homeless and vulnerable go hungry. But now, as part of a UK-wide Morrisons initiative, Gibraltar’s own branch will be donating all of its unsold produce to local charities. The aim is to end the waste of food that is past its sell-by date but still safe to eat. Andrew Clappen, Group Corporate Services Director, said: “We don’t like the idea of good food going to waste and this programme will ensure we find a home for the small amount of unsold or used food in our stores.”
Support
A spokesman for Morrisons confirmed to the Olive Press that the Gibraltar store will launch the scheme early in the new year. “The store manager will get the details in the new year and he can then start to look at organisations in the local area which we can support,” she said. Tinned food and packets as well as fresh fruit and vegetables will be donated, following successful trials in more than 100 stores in Yorkshire and the North East of England. Gibraltar is home to Morrisons’ only store outside Great Britain, and since it arrived 21 years ago it has been a great success, despite the logistical challenges involved.
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Celeb chef set to cook up a storm Page 27
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GIBRALTAR
Vol. 1 Issue 5
www.gibraltarolivepress.com
November 11th - 25th 2015
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We will fight them on the beaches
Expat unites with green group to save emblematic Trafalgar Lighthouse from privatisation
BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR: The lighthouse is being converted into private apartments while (right) Nelson and Stuart A DESPERATE battle is being waged to stop the iconic Trafalgar lighthouse being privatised and lost as a public monument. The historic landmark, close to where Admiral Nelson’s British navy defeated an allied French and Spanish fleet in 1805, is loved and cherished by many Gibraltarians. The emblematic lighthouse, built in 1860, is also in a spot of serene natural beauty, located near Caños de Meca, on the Costa de la Luz. But now, 200 years after Nelson died in a heroic victory and was taken to Gibraltar, a second battle of Trafalgar is being fought. For a German firm has been awarded a contract to con-
EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell vert the stunning landmark into three luxury holiday apartments, and in the process cut it off from the public. Under the controversial agreement, company Floatel is to take control of the 34-metre lighthouse for the next 30 years, with the option to renew for another 10. However, a group of Cadiz businessmen including long-established expat James Stuart, is taking up arms against the project. Joined by local environmentalists, Stu-
art, boss of the Califa Hotel group in Vejer, has now filed an official complaint with the Cadiz port authority over ‘irregularities’ in Floatel’s application. The businessman, who runs a string of hotels and restaurants on the Costa de la Luz, has united with a group of key Spanish businesses in a bid to keep it entirely open to the public. “We firmly believe the lighthouse and its environs should be in the public domain,” Stuart told the Olive Press. “It should have the same status as the Roman ruins at Baelo Claudia where there is a museum and the site is free to the public.”
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
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His group believes the Port Authority is simply looking for a way to ‘relieve itself of the financial burden of maintaining the site’. Insisting the last-ditch protest has nothing to do with his group’s own application being turned down, he added: “We would take over the running and costs of the lighthouse, but at the same time keep it open for everyone to enjoy.” The Califa group’s proposal, which came second, guaranteed to maintain the appearance of the lighthouse, as well as add a free interpretation centre, restaurant and picnic area employing 15 to 25 staff. By contrast, Floatel’s plan involves employing just two staff, closing the main entrance and cutting off more than 50% of the land and buildings to the public.
Honour
RUDELY INTERRUPTED: Chief reporter Tom Powell left twiddling his pen as Feetham meets a fan
Olive Press meets the James Bond of Gibraltar politics, Daniel Feetham, vying to become the next leader - Page 6/7
It also plans to charge for entry with limited opening times. Stuart was motivated to challenge the decision after being swayed by local opinion. In particular, green group Ecologistas en Accion has filed a complaint with the Cadiz Port Authority against Floatel’s plans. “We are against the privatisation of public facilities such as the Trafalgar Lighthouse,” explained a spokesman. The Cadiz Port Authority has until November 15 to respond to both appeals. Last month, Gibraltar held its annual ceremony at Trafalgar cemetery in honour of those who died in the battle.
Opinion Page 6