Upper Rock Nature Reserve: A Management and Action Plan

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Legislation
6) It is the authors’ opinion that all vehicular access, including public service vehicles, to
the upper reaches of the Nature Reserve should be restricted unless the reason for use is
consistent with wildlife conservation aims, Nature Reserve staff requirements or emergency
and essential vehicular use.
7) Residents of the Upper Rock Nature Reserve should be issued with an Upper Rock
Nature Reserve disk, which should be displayed on the windscreen and which permits authorised
access to their residences via Willis’s Road, through the barrier at Moorish Castle
entrance, after closing time.
8) Closing and opening times to be amended and set at 07:00hrs and 22:00hrs during the
change to summer time at GMT+2 and set at 07:00hrs and 20:00hrs during the change to
wintertime at GMT +1. These opening and closing times should be known as the ‘specified
time’.
9) The barrier at the Moorish Castle should remain down after the specified time, unless
the driver of the vehicle requesting entry to the Nature Reserve is a resident with a valid
Upper Rock Nature Reserve disk, or guest of the same and produces proof of permission or
identity and specifies location or residence where he will be visiting. In this last case, visitors
should only be allowed to proceed after the Security Guard confirms destination via a
phone call to the residence in question.
10) An effort should be made to ensure that no person without permission remains within
the Upper Rock Nature Reserve after the specified time. This could be achieved through
patrolling, following the recruitment of Wildlife Wardens.
11) The time at which no person shall remain within the Nature Reserve in the evening
should be clearly stated in the Designation Order. After these hours, authorised access to
the Nature reserve should be via Willis’ Road at the barrier at Moorish Castle.
12) The security guard must close the gates at Lathbury Barracks at the specified time in
conjunction with the main gates on Engineer Road in order to ensure no unauthorised
access.
3.5 Vandalism, Defacement and Litter
Litter poses one of the Nature Reserve’s greatest problems. It can be seen everywhere,
lining the roads and accumulated around sites, and does much to mar the aesthetic appeal
of the Upper Rock. The Designation Order states that ‘No person shall, in the Reserve,
…deposit litter or waste’ 9 , yet the amount of litter that can be seen within the Nature Reserve,
particularly around popular stopping points, is of grave concern (see Chapter 5, section 5.1).
Although legislation exists, laws are typically not enforced (due mostly to the fact that usually,
there is nobody present to enforce such laws). The visual impact that litter causes within
the Nature Reserve is illustrated in Appendix 2.
9 Section 8.(a), pp.117 of L/N 51 of 1993.
10 Section 6.(2), pp.116 of L/N 51 of 1993.
3.6 Recommendations
Similarly, large areas of the Upper Rock have been vandalised and defaced with graffiti.
Graffiti is evident, for example, at Spur Battery (graffiti was actually painted over during
August 2003, but has since returned) and O’Hara’s Battery. Vandalism is of particular concern
given that amongst structures and objects vandalised are fire-fighting cisterns and
equipment (see Chapter 11). Although vandalism, and in particular graffiti abounds on the
Upper Rock, this is restricted to roadsides and areas with very easy access, and could therefore
be tackled effectively with relative ease.
The Designation Order states that ‘No person shall damage or deface any structure
including any natural structure in the Reserve’ 10 . In addition to this, more general legislation
against vandalism and defacement exists. The problem here, once again, is that of enforcement
of legislation and regular policing. If there is an absence of a police or warden presence
within the Nature Reserve, then these practices will continue.
1) A greater effort should be made to clean the Upper Rock effectively, as is described in
more detail in Chapter 5.
2) It may be an idea to place CCTV cameras at spots where large amounts of litter are
deposited. This would not only expose offenders, but also act as a deterrent to those who
are about to commit an offence.
3) Tour operators should be held responsible for the actions of their clients. This should
apply to litter offences as well as to the feeding of the macaques. In this way, tour operators
Upper Rock Nature Reserve: A Management and Action Plan