Government is seeking a private tenant to help restore a vandalised cottage in Blue Hole Park.

The Ministry of Works and Engineering has advertised Walsingham Cottage, in Hamilton Parish, to let by tender for 20 years with a subsidised rent, in exchange for the tenant having a survey of the cottage done and carrying out repairs and taking on the upkeep.

As the cottage is a listed building, prospective tenants are being told to consult with the Historic Buildings Advisory Committee before putting in a tender.

Listing a building, which is formal protection under the Development and Planning Act 1974, is meant to put a 'mark' on important buildings to ensure their special architectural or historical interest is taken into account during development.

The buildings are listed in a grading system, from one to three, which indicates the extent or renovation allowed on a particular property.

Grade one allows only minor alterations and they must maintain the structural and material style as the original, two allows alterations that do not impinge on the original building, and three means the alterations should be carried out in sympathy with original.

Walsingham Cottage is a grade three building, which means it is "an important visual amenity for Bermuda".

The cottage is being put out to tender with 0.40 acres of arable land, rent-free for a period of two years during which time the tenant is expected to complete a "Scope of Works for the cottage at his/her own cost and then pay a subsidised rent for the remaining 18 years", a Government notice states.

"The building is very damaged by vandalism and this is the best way to have it restored," said Peter Redman, a Government estate surveyor, who will be looking at submissions.

"Vandalism is likely to increase and the Government doesn't have the budget to renovate the building."

Mr. Redman said the scope of repairs needed made it necessary to offer a long tenancy.

"We offered the 20-year period rather than the normal five-year period because it wouldn't be cost-effective for the person renovating the property," he said. "There is also a fair amount of arable land and one of the objectives is to bring it back into usage.

"The owner will continue to be the Government and it is likely we will increasingly do this because Government doesn't have the budget and we think this is cost effective."

Dorcas Roberts, conservation officer for the National Trust, agreed. "It's a very good method. It sort of encourages people to maintain historic buildings, which is good," she said.

Government has set a deadline for submissions of April 6 and details and tender documents are available at the reception desk of the Ministry of Works and Engineering.