Government will have to put its plan to build a new $500 million hospital on the Botanical Gardens to both Parliament and the people before pushing ahead, says former UBP Minister Quinton Edness.

He says the National Parks Act 1986, which he had pioneered to protect precious land from future Governments, included the Botanical Gardens and in order to de-list it Government will have to pass a bill in both the House and Senate.

The act also requires public consultation argued Mr. Edness who called on Government to rethink the controversial plan which faces defeat at any stage.

He said: ?All these things have to be done before any action can take place. If they don?t do this they will expose themselves to potential legal challenges.?

By-passing the law would also damage Government credibility warned Mr. Edness. ?The act was set up to make it difficult for anything to be done to park land.

?It was so people wouldn?t wake up one morning and find they were going to build a hotel in Par-la-Ville park or extend the development on Albouy?s Point.?

Last week Government said they hoped work on the new hospital will start in two years time to be ready for 2013. It will take 30 percent of the current Botanical Gardens site but Health Minister Patrice Minors has promised once landscaping had been done on the old site there would be a net gain of four acres would be added to the Gardens.

Mr. Edness said there had been insufficient public consultation on the hospital plan.

?It will be very difficult for Government to get this through. It would be very wise for Government to take another look.?

He said better use could be made of the land Government owns at the site. Space could be freed up by moving Agape House and by building higher and nearer the road and getting rid of some of the hospital?s entrance greenery. ?There?s a huge amount of space.?

Having a large hospital looming over what was left of the Gardens would ruin something which had tremendous historical and cultural significance for Bermudians who came together at the Agricultural Show, argued the former Home Affairs Minister.

Last night Senate leader Alf Oughton would not be drawn on whether he would back the plan if it went to the Upper House.

But he voiced strong criticism of the way it was being handled.

He said: ?I think Government needs to come out very quickly with what we are getting for $500 million and how much is going to be used in knocking down the old hospital and restoring that area to open space.?

And he said more details were needed on why it would cost $100 million more to build on the current site.

?There?s so much missing for anybody to decide whether it?s a good or a bad idea.?

He said little weight had been given to the Botanical Gardens idea during the consultation stage but now it had been chosen.