More than 1,000 people have signed a petition asking the Bermuda Government to halt work on a maintenance yard in the Botanical Gardens.

Action group Take Back Our Park launched the appeal almost five weeks ago to try to stop the work, which will involve building two large two-storey buildings and a three-storey water tower.

There will also be a large staff car park surrounded by fencing with electric sliding gates, which the group says will dominate the centre of the Botanical Gardens.

This site will also be used as a daily mustering station for Parks staff.

Jennifer Flood, a spokeswoman for the group, said: “I have been giving tours at the Botanical Gardens for a number of years. Our visitors — locals and tourists alike — really enjoy the time they spend there and leave refreshed and enthused for Bermuda, our plants and our history.

“It is deeply disturbing that those whose responsibility should be the enhancement and development of Bermuda's only Botanical Gardens have so utterly missed this unique opportunity to unify, improve, beautify and add to Bermuda's very limited allotment of open space.”

The petition cites concerns such as:

The maintenance yard will provide a throughway for heavy trucks going from Berry Hill to South Shore Road;

100-120 Parks Department staff will be driving to this site on a daily basis to collect and/or drop off heavy trucks, trailers, tractors and equipment creating noise and activity within the Gardens;

Increased rush-hour congestion and traffic along South Road and the hospital;

Heavy trucks, trailers, tractors and equipment will be parked at the site on nights, weekends and holidays, and will be viewable from within the Botanical Gardens;

The site will be used for repairing and maintaining Parks vehicles and equipment, causing noise pollution and an unsightly view for visitors to the Botanical Gardens;

The original planning application listed the address for this redevelopment as 169 South Road. No mention was made that it was the Botanical Gardens, nor that this site was zoned as parks.

Mrs Flood said: “I appreciate that the site has been used for some form of industrial use for a long time, however, the original use of an area does not mean it has to remain so.”

To join Take Back Our Park, email takebackourpark@gmail.com and visit the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/takebackourpark. You can sign the petition at www.surveymonkey.com/s/YSM25FB