Planning has granted retroactive approval for rogue renovations which were carried out on the Tee Street home of Bermuda Housing Corporation property officer.

The Development Applications Board (DAB) last week approved the renovations to the home of BHC officer Terrence Smith in a rare granting of retroactive approval.

Officers from the Planning department discovered in March that extensive renovations were done at the home despite the fact that the Development Applications Board (DAB) has refused permission for the changes in August 2001.

“It has come to my attention that development exists on this site that is outside the approval granted September 14, 2000,” wrote Planning officer Nicky Gurret in a March 21 letter to Mr. Smith. “Your application for revisions... was refused August 29, 2001.

“Notwithstanding the board's decision, after having visited the site recently, it appears that all those works refused have been carried out.”

The Royal Gazette<$> later revealed that some of the unauthorised work on the prominent Devonshire home was done by a Planning Inspector moonlighting in his free time.

As a result, the Permanent Secretary responsible for Planning, Brian Rowlinson, issued a memorandum to all staff directing that permission must be obtained from the Ministry of Environment before freelance work can be accepted.

Last week, DAB granted retroactive approval for the work which included enlarging the home's third bedroom, creating a larger veranda and storage area, adding a new roof over the master bedroom, changing a roof to deck and pergolas and upgrading the home's existing parking area from the North right of way.

The additions enlarged the home by 390 square feet, taking floor space to 5,899 square feet on the 95,745 square-foot lot.

The Royal Gazette understands that main problem with the plans the DAB rejected in August 2001 was that the Mr. Smith had not proved to Planning he had right of way over an access area.

Proof of legal access to the area of contention is now included in the Planning file on the application however.

The three-storey, four-bedroom home has been under work since the summer of 2000 its grounds include a pool, pool house, two-storey garage and sauna.

The BHC officer's home came to media attention as allegations of corruption at the quango charged with providing low cost housing for Bermudians surfaced earlier this year.

A contractor alleged that his company was sacked from its BHC jobs after he tried to bill Mr. Smith for work done on the Tee Street property.

Contractor Kevin Pilgrim of SOHO Applications has since filed a writ against Mr. Smith and the results of an investigation into the BHC by Auditor General Larry Dennis have been handed over to Police and the Department of Public Prosecutions.