 The preservation of Gibraltar's fortifications, and of its architectural heritage in general, has been a problematic issue. The peninsula is extremely short of land; in the early 1980s, nearly half the available land was in military usage, comprising the naval dockyard, the whole of the southern part of Gibraltar, the upper part of the Rock and a significant amount of property within the city walls, in addition to the runway and military facilities on the isthmus. Until recently, Gibraltar had no public sea front of its own due to military land usage. As the military presence has been run down, MOD property has been handed over to the Government of Gibraltar but the latter has lacked the resources to look after all of the buildings and land that have been transferred. This has led to the abandonment and severe physical deterioration of significant parts of Gibraltar's military heritage.
