The National Trust has leapt Government's defence after developers said planners were dragging their feet over issuing building permits for the luxury Tucker's Point Club.

Bermuda Properties had written to Environment Minister Terry Lister asking him to pressure the Planning Department to speed up the process.

Mr. Lister said the Planning Department should deal with the applications as quickly as possible because it was a high profile tourism development but he added that planners still had to be thorough.

The approach was backed by the National Trust's Environmental chairwoman Cathy Gosling.

She said Mr. Lister and the Planning Department were right not allow the planning process to be compromised for any reason.

She said: "Of course we all want to do what we can to assist our tourism industry, but long term, tourism will benefit from the care which is taken to ensure the protection of our surroundings.

"The developer indicated the houses were identical and therefore should receive blanket approval.

"Even if the houses are the same, they are sited in different areas, with different environmental aspects and it is important to review each in its own context.

"This is an extremely environmentally sensitive area and we applaud both the minister and planners for ensuring the proper care is taken with these applications."

The company wants to build 26 homes on Ship's Hill, part of its $250 million hotel, housing and leisure development at the site of former Marriott's Castle Harbour Resort.

The company is thought to have hoped for blanket approval for houses which are identical, but the Planning Department is insisting on reviewing the applications on a case by case basis because they are on different sites.