A National Trust buildings expert has hit out at residents who believe they should all be compensated for preserving their homes for the nation.

But Sanders Frith-Brown was also critical of his own organisation, which he said should do more to educate people into accepting the new listing buildings policy.

Mr. Frith-Brown, who sits on the National Trust Historic Buildings Committee, said people who wanted to know what was in it for them from the scheme were being selfish.

He was responding after one resident said those responsible for listed buildings should be compensated for more costly repairs, which benefited the Island.

Mr. Frith-Brown said there was a case for aiding those who found themselves in genuine hardship when confronted with listed building repairs, but added that the concerns over more expensive work may not be warranted.

"Our man-made resources are few in Bermuda. They are an indelible record of how we lived before,'' he said.

"We do not have a big inventory, there are 800 in total and 250 are category one. We need the community to understand what this list means.'' He said the National Trust was considering bringing in an overseas expert to help them get the message across, but said the Government should launch a publicity campaign.

"We need to take a bigger stand. We have a situation where we are not being proactive enough -- we need to take this to the people,'' he said.

"This is about galvanising community awareness of what the value of this is.

It needs to be done with TV adverts, newspaper ads and seminars.'' Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson launched the listed building policy last week, picking up what had been started six years ago by the Historic Buildings Advisory Committee.

The list comprises of 800 structures -- commercial premises, forts, houses and gateposts -- which are considered to be important to Bermuda's heritage.

The Minister called for negotiations to bring on board those owners who were reluctant to join the list.

Yesterday he said: "We regard listed buildings in the same way as open spaces. If people are preserving them it has to be done in an equitable manner.

"At the moment we are going through people who have objected and working with them, trying to bring them on board.

"And those who haven't responded to correspondence, we are trying to see what can be worked out.'' Mr. Frith-Brown said there were concerns over what work would cost in relation to a perceived notion that planning approval would be more restrictive.

But the fears could be largely unfounded, he added.

"There is a myth that it costs more to maintain. In many cases it doesn't cost more. In many of these cases some of these people are just defending their own ignorance.'' He said there is scope for re-using traditional building materials such as wood and repairing doors and windows, instead of simply replacing them.

Arthur Hodgson