1992 Plan as they bombard local architects with complaints that they no longer have development approval.

Architects contacted by The Royal Gazette said some applicants whose proposals had been approved have now been informed they cannot build because of the new zoning restrictions.

"It's absurd,'' said Mr. John Gardner of Cooper & Gardner. "It appears they've taken every half-way decent tree and placed it under woodland reserve, every significant green patch of grass is open space.

"It seems like planners are just trying to kill development in some areas, and unnecessarily so. The conservation underlay -- woodland reserve, and woodland areas are very restrictive. It's going to be a real battle for clients.'' The Bermuda Plan 1992, to be used to control the development and use of all land outside the City of Hamilton, replaces the Bermuda Development Plan 1983.

Those dissatisfied with the "draft'' plan have until September 11 to object to the zoning of any property or provisions contained in the planning statement which came into effect on July 3.

A graduate architect at Onions, Bouchard and McCulloch, Mr. Charles Daniels said he was "getting calls every day''.

"Many have been given approval in principal to build and their area has been zoned completely different now and it's a question of whether or not a client can carry through.

"If a person has not exercised the approval (to build) within a two-year period, it means they lose that approval and maybe the opportunity to build, especially if they don't object to the zoning. I think Government should really impress upon people to look at the zoning maps and see how they affect their property.'' Mr. Daniels said the plan was restrictive.

"I'm not speaking for the firm but it seems to only give the planning department's definition of what the Bermudian image is,'' he said. "They think Bermudian architecture has to have shutters on it and sometimes that's nothing further from the truth. They have not yet come to grips on all that is Bermudian. They think lateral slates, pastel colours and lots of green landscape is the ultimate definition of Bermuda.'' Mr. Daniels said many sites now on the Island and representative of "old Bermuda'' would not be approved under the new plan.

"For example,'' he said. "The old airport on Darrell's Island doesn't look anything like Bermudian architecture yet it has been there for so long how can you not call it Bermudian? In St. George's, a lot of buildings used to be built right on the property line, now we have to set everything back 10 or 20 feet. How can we say that is Bermuda? "There are a lot of little nuances I feel have been sort of glossed over in this planning statement as well as in the previous planning statement. There's some pluses and some negatives, but it's too early to tell whether the average landowner is going to benefit. It depends on what type of zoning they have.'' He added that "the potential for development is somewhat diminished'' for some property owners.

"Before, in high density areas, 40 percent of a particular lot could be used for building; it's gone down to 35 percent and people lose five percent in some cases -- it's a big difference and for some a question of whether or not they can add on an apartment.'' Although expensive at $750 a copy, he said the planning statement and the zoning maps enabled architects to have information on-hand rather than having to travel to the Planning Department.

Mr. Neil Sloan, of Marshall Bernado Partnership, said his clients were facing similar problems.

"It seems that if anything is green you can't touch it now. In a few instances we have people who are better off under the new zoning but we have a number of clients who have said how unfortunate it is they can't build anything on their lots at all.

"The other thing with the new plan is that everything is at the discretion of the board. Even with the guidelines we're still not sure what we can and cannot do in a few cases. With the guidelines we went by in the past we knew it was OK as long as we were within them.''