The Environment Minister hinted this week there could be a public inquiry into the Bank of Bermuda?s Planning appeal for a seven-storey building on Front Street.

?I?m not sure. But you never know,? Minister Neletha Butterfield responded to questions of whether the inquiry would take place.

?We have not got to that stage yet. The overseas inspector has not arrived.?

A Bank of Bermuda spokeswoman refused to comment about the public inquiry on Thursday.

Objector Rosalind Fox strongly opposes the bank?s plans to build a seven-storey office building and told the Ministry of the Environment so in a letter on May 11.

In her letter, Ms Fox also recalled that a public inquiry into a controversial Planning application in another neighbourhood was used some years ago and asked why Permanent Secretary Wayne Carey had not chosen to make this appeal more public.

On March 29, the Development Applications Board (DAB) refused the bank?s application for final Planning approval for a seven-storey mixed use office/commercial building at No?s 39, 41 and 43, Front Street.

However, on April 11, the Bank lodged an appeal to Minister Butterfield saying the DAB made the wrong decision because tall buildings and small buildings can exist alongside each other in Hamilton.