Friday night?s debate on the controversial Prospect housing project failed to lead to the anticipated fireworks after Government voted to block the motion after just two speakers. introduced the motion that: ?This House deplores the failure of the honourable member responsible for Housing to consult with the residents of the Mary Victoria Prospect Area before proceeding with plans to construct further homes in their neighbourhood.?

Mr. Barritt led the House through the history of the plan including a bitter and acrimonious March 2004 debate which had eventually lead to a compromise where the Minister had withdrawn plans for 34 units pending further consultation.

But then a letter, dated April 12, 2005, was sent by the Minister to residents telling them 20 units would be built. Mr. Barritt said: ?This is where things started to come off track, the letter was received only later that month. Most of them got the letter on April 26.

?At this point it is fair to say the residents of Mary Victoria Road were taken aback? Why because they had expected the Minister would actually consult with them. They had expected the Minister to come and meet with them.?

Now residents have been handed a fait accompli with no chance to make their own suggestions, said Mr. Barritt.

?It would not be difficult to do to have a meeting. There was no reason not to meet with them, he stood to lose nothing.?

He said the meeting would not have been adversarial or combative. ?They did have some findings they wanted to share with you, he said. ?They knew some homes would be built.?

Instead residents got angry and submitted a 188-name protest petition, said Mr. Barritt. ?They felt they had been disrespected.?

They had wanted another road into the Alexandra Road area and additional parking said Mr. Barritt. said he had dinner with a number of residents and spoke about their concerns.

?We had a general discussion about their concerns.? He said Government had compromised by scaling the development back and residents had been told.

?I have to get on and build some units to house people. It is easy to be in Opposition and throw stones and darts. Leadership is quite different, leadership is balancing out what everyone needs or wants. People need to be housed.?

He said there seemed to be opposition to every housing project Government proposed and that he had never seen a list of ten points Mr. Barritt said residents had drawn up.

Not all the residents want the extra road, said Mr. Devent. ?If you build another road it is another road to speed through.?

He said residents had not called him or written to him. ?If in fact I did offend anyone and we had a misconception about consultation I apologise.?

But he said he had no apologies about building 20 units and he chided the Opposition for a dismal record of house building in the last ten years of their Government. Mr. DeVent said the Bermuda Housing Corporation had taken steps to deal with anti-social behaviour on the estate by evicting certain families.

?Some of these people will find it very difficult to become BHC clients again.?

The issue was then put to a vote which the Government won, thereby stopping further debate.

A frustrated Mr. Barritt said it was an abuse of the rules of the House and an infringement of the rights of minorities.