Bermuda Plan.

Making the complaint is Mrs. Veronica Ross after her plans to build a cottage on the coast were foiled because it was in an area zoned as open space.

Mrs. Ross believes a cottage off East Shore Road, Somerset, would be similar to other coastal cottages and an asset to the area.

But planners refused to budge and argued the area should remain undeveloped.

Mrs. Ross was making her protest to the Objections Tribunal on the Bermuda Plan.

Claiming that neither the view from the sea or from the land would be spoiled by building a cottage, she said: "It is difficult to see how the view from the sea could be affected by a cottage nestling in the land. There are several properties in the area which are considered to be an asset to the region.

"From Sound View there has been considerable development and to pick out this one and say it has a negative inpact is inconsistent.

"Looking from the land, the roof of the proposed cottage would be barely visible above the level of the road because of the slope of the land.'' She pointed out that planners' objections to the cottage concerned the view that was seen by visitors to the area, but she said visitors normally made for the nearby moongate which would not be affected by the cottage.

Mrs. Ross said: "My husband and I are in agreement with the goals of conserving the area for the environment and for the sake of tourists but barring building development in coastal areas is overkill.

She said the property was bought 20 years ago and cleared with preliminary plans drawn up five years later.

But over the past 10 years bringing up five children had restricted where they could move.

Planner Mr. Peter Adwick said: "The reason we have zoned the coastline in this way is to establish clear environmental principles. There is a great deal of concern over the erosion of the quality of the coastline. The coastline is one of Bermuda's most important natural resources.

"This plan does have implications for people who do have properties on the coast, unfortunately it is part of the planning process.'' Mr. Adwick said it was a case of balancing environmental interests in Bermuda with the interests of individuals.