More people will start living in Hamilton as a result of the new City of Hamilton Plan, Government hopes.

The plan will also encourage development in the eastern end of the City, alleviate traffic problems and help reverse an unhealthy development trend in which areas become monopolised by offices, according to Environment Minister Dennis Lister.

"City districts dominated by a single land use, especially offices, tend to produce a sterile environment, particularly outside of normal working hours," he said

Mr. Lister was kicking off yesterday's House of Assembly debate of the City of Hamilton Plan 2001, the third in Bermuda's history. By law, the Planning Department has to produce a plan for the City every ten years. The last was in 1973.

Corporation of Hamilton secretary Roger Sherratt said the latest plan is late because of the extensive consultation that took place before Planning drafted the document. He said the plan was the first to address traffic issues and a traffic strategy discussion paper was drafted in 1999 to help develop the plan.

The Minister said the 1984 plan was responsible for clusters of offices.

"The new plan aims to reverse this trend by encouraging mixed-use development throughout the City. A mix of businesses, shops, cafes, entertainment and housing will attract pedestrians, residents and night-time activity as the essential ingredients of a lively, fun City."

He said most of the new office development since 1984 had been in the western side of the City and this had made traffic problems worse because more people had to cross the City to get to the west end.

Developers' focus on the west end meant that the east end of the City was full of vacant sites, "unrealised development potential and in a relative state of neglect".

Incentives for developers include allowing east end buildings to go higher than in other areas of the City and adopting less restrictive on-site parking standards.

The plan also aims to increase the number of people living in the City with bonuses to developers who build high rise residential apartment buildings.

"The most exciting and lively cities in the world are based on a sizeable and well-distributed resident population," said the Minister.

"An increase in the City's resident population will create life and activity on city streets and boost the economy of local shops, restaurants and services. City housing, too, will make an important contribution to meeting the Island's housing needs by alleviating the pressure on green field sites and by moderating the problems of commuter traffic."

He said he hoped the plan would help with the redevelopment of Uptown (the northeast Hamilton area) which had suffered from a negative image. He said Planning and the Corporation were working with the community on a plan "to rejuvenate the northeast and improve the quality of the residential environment".

The Corporations "very pleased" with the plan, said Mr. Sherratt. "It should be very good as we move forward in the next ten years."

For the debate, See Page 4