Environmental Experts Protect Apes, Birds and Nature Reserve During Upgrade of Unique Tourist Attraction : Environmental development experts Environmental Gain Ltd (Engain) have used their expertise to inform the upgrade of a unique Gibraltar tourist experience.

The Gibraltar cable car rises 412m above sea level in just 6 minutes, allowing around a million tourists a year to appreciate stunning views of the town below, as well as the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar, the Costa del Sol and North Africa.

Built in 1966, the cable car also brings visitors to the best spot to meet the Rock’s famous Barbary Apes.

Engain were brought in by the cable car owners and operators, MH Bland, who were seeking permission to upgrade the cable car installation and buildings in order to cope with the increasing numbers of tourists. Plans needed to take into account the unique position of the upper station at the summit of The Rock, located within a Nature Reserve and on a major migratory route for birds.

Nikki Wood, Managing Director of Engain, said: “This project has been almost 4 years in the making, with a global team coming together to design an advanced infrastructure in one of the most sensitive environments in Europe.

“It’s been a privilege to work with MH Bland and the people of Gibraltar on this ‘show-stopper’ attraction, providing sustainable tourism which protects this unique location while allowing people to visit and understand more about the local ecology.”

Engain’s environmental team worked with the Swiss project architects, Forum 4, to provide their expert knowledge during the consultation and design process to cause the least disruption to Gibraltar’s biodiversity and to ensure the design had the lowest environmental and visual impact possible.

Johnnie Gaggero, Chairman of MH Bland Gibraltar, said: “We are extremely grateful to the team at Engain for their invaluable support in obtaining planning permission for this project. 

“We very much look forward to our continued collaboration in order to ensure this significant investment in Gibraltar’s future tourism product will be carried out in the most environmentally friendly way possible, in keeping with the commitment we have made to the planning authority.”

The planning application has been unanimously approved and work can now begin to bring this new and exciting development to life and enhance Gibraltar’s tourism.

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