The retiring Anglican Bishop of Bermuda yesterday urged vigilance in the planning process to prevent multistorey developments from destroying "the character of Hamilton".

On the eve of his retirement, the Rt. Rev. Ewen Ratteray criticised the use of Special Development Orders for buildings contrary to the City of Hamilton Plan 2001, saying: "That kind of approach is extremely dangerous as the character of Hamilton is now all but lost."

The Bishop's comments follow the announcement of an SDO for a ten-storey 'condominium hotel' within yards of the House of Assembly and Cabinet Office on Friday.

The 81-unit development is to be built on the corner of Court Street and Reid Street and will house 42 'hotel condominiums', 39 'residences', plus a restaurant and spa. The site, on the former Canadian Hotel, will cover 23,522 sq. ft and include 39 underground car parking spaces.

The SDO for Stonehaven Development Condominium Hotel was granted by Environment Minister El James last Tuesday, and marks the twelfth SDO to be issued in five years. Guidelines state they should only be issued in cases of "strategic, national importance or priority".

But yesterday Bishop Ratteray said: "I think SDOs should only be used in very extreme circumstances. I have seen nothing in recent times that fits that category. Apart from any other consideration, the use of SDOs clearly circumvents public participation in the planning process. That is most unfortunate and hardly democratic."

The ten-storey condominium hotel is not situated within a 'view corridor' of the Cathedral but the Bishop said he was concerned at the growing encroachment of taller buildings in Hamilton.

The City of Hamilton Plan 2001 states: "The height of new development in the City will be controlled by three factors. Firstly, development will not normally be permitted to exceed the O.D. height of the ridge of the Cathedral (138 feet O.D).

"Secondly, the height of new development will be controlled by restricting the maximum number of storeys for each site and thirdly, by restricting the height of storeys.

"In order to retain the Cathedral's visual dominance, the Board shall ensure that development does not normally exceed 138 feet O.D. in height (being the height of the ridge level of the Cathedral)."

Bishop Ratteray said yesterday: "I am very alarmed at the increase in the number of buildings that appear to breach the Hamilton Plan of 2001. That kind of approach is extremely dangerous as the character of Hamilton is now all but lost. It is only a matter of time before the view of the Cathedral from all sides may be compromised.

"We shall have to be very vigilant to prevent that from happening. Sad to say that already the view from the East is severely limited."

He added: "There is an urgent need to review and update the Plan for the City of Hamilton, and that should done with a view to the preservation of what is left of our architectural heritage."

Yesterday it emerged that the Bermuda National Trust objected to the Planning application for the condo hotel due to its "height and scale". The Trust has also called for a review of the City of Hamilton Plan, to include public consultation.

In a letter to Planning, the Trust said: "This proposed development is significantly outside the provisions set out in Section 3. of the City of Hamilton Plan 2001, in particular policies 3.6, 3.7, 3.9 and 3.11. The proposed building is of a height and scale that, if permitted, would be a very significant departure from the City of Hamilton Plan and its objective to secure development of a high quality design by ensuring that it is of a scale and massing appropriate for the site.

"We wish to reiterate that this application and others like it, we feel, can only be contemplated after a comprehensive review of the City of Hamilton Plan 2001 to determine if the City can support 'high rise' buildings. This would need to include a careful evaluation by planning professionals and a comprehensive consultation with affected stakeholders and the public.

If, following the necessary due diligence, it is decided that the City can support such buildings then the City of Hamilton Plan would need to be amended to identify areas where these buildings would be permissible and the height. More importantly, it must be identified where such buildings would not be suitable."

Government has justified the SDO for the Stonehaven Development Condominium Hotel in terms of tourism. A spokesman said on Friday: "As the development is important to the improvement of Bermuda's tourism product, it was determined that allowing the development via an SDO was in the interest in the country as a whole."

Business consultants ARP for the developers however, say the hotel will cater predominantly for business executives, as a kind of 'aparthotel'. "The target population for the condominium hotel is the business person that is on Island, either for a brief stay, or for two to three years," said ARP.

One of the conditions of the SDO is that the developers must "satisfy both Ministers (Tourism and Environment) that the applicant will make adequate provision for staff housing".

There is no mention as yet of where this could be located. A Government spokesman said on Friday: "The developer has not yet submitted the plans required by paragraph 3(2)(b)."

Yesterday, Stuart Hayward, chairman of the Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce, said: "It appears the Government is throwing decades of sensible planning law and practice out the window. So much for the principles of sustainable development.

"All such decisions should be put on hold, especially as the Government announced that the new Development Plan would be published soon.

"It is an affront to the concept of orderly planning to move ahead with developments that contravene the Development Plan prior to its update being released and going through its public commentary process. It is also an affront to the principles of consultation contained in the just-released Sustainable Development Implementation Plan."

The Corporation of Hamilton however, has approved the plans. A Government spokesman said on Friday: "Consultation with the Corporation of Hamilton indicated that the Corporation had no objection."

Mayor of Hamilton Sutherland Madeiros told The Royal Gazette: "In principle I'm not against it. Sir John Swan's Seon Place (Front Street) is a ten-storey level and it's certainly not one of the highest elevations in Hamilton.

"Without having seen the plan in relation to the building it's hard to say whether it detracts or enhances, but going taller in Hamilton in certain areas is something beneficial, as opposed to building elsewhere in Bermuda."

The Royal Gazette has requested more information about the project and its design from the developers, via architects Botelho Wood. We received no reply by the time of going to press yesterday.

What do you think? Are you concerned that the height of new buildings in Hamilton could detract from the city's character, or do you welcome new residential and tourism development? Email: adale@royalgazette.bm