A list of historic Bermuda buildings could be completed by the end of the year -- helping to ensure their future preservation.

For several years the Historic Buildings Advisory Committee has been painstakingly pinpointing buildings of architectural and historical importance.

And although the work is not yet completed planners and architects are already paying attention and consulting the committee on new projects.

The Committee is compiling a list of buildings which will be graded one to three according to their importance.

If a building is listed it will mean owners will need special permission to carry out any alterations -- inside or outside.

Andrew Trimingham, chairman of the Advisory Committee, said: "The report is not quite ready for the Minister's attention yet, we have several months to go before it is ready for her attention.

"However the planning department is working as though the list was in place although it does not have the force of law.

"The Department of Works and Engineering has also been talking to someone first and we have an excellent relationship with the West End Development Corporation.'' He said the list had taken some time to compile but during the Committee's work there had been two different Ministers and a civil servant heavily involved in the process left the Island.

"The Planning Department took deliberate trouble to find a replacement well versed in listed buildings in particular and a good deal of progress is being made,'' added Mr. Trimingham.

Pam Gordon, the Planning and Environment Minister, said she believed the listed buildings report would have a positive effect on Bermuda.

However she said there might have to be a structure put into place to ensure property owners had an incentive to maintain the building's character.

Incentives might include some form of tax relief or a central pot of money to subsidise work. Ms Gordon stressed however that no firm ideas had been drawn up and nothing had yet gone to Cabinet.

"We want to encourage people to maintain the building's character instead of fighting us because they say it is too expensive to maintain,'' said Ms Gordon.

GOVERNMENT GVT