HOUSING Minister Senator David Burch admitted yesterday that he had come out on the losing side in a Cabinet dispute over whether prefabricated homes should be placed at Morgan's Point.

Speaking as the first of the mobile homes was being transported to Morgan's Point under police escort, Sen. Burch said his personal view that the site of the former US Naval Annex should not be developed right now had not found favour in Cabinet.

Sen. Burch's Works & Engineering & Housing Ministry applied on November 7 last year for planning permission to put six prefabs on land that the Minister had said was "off limits".

"I did state in the Senate that Morgan's Point should be a land bank for the future," Sen. Burch said during yesterday's Cabinet Office press conference after he was asked why he'd changed his mind.

"That was my personal opinion and I did not have the agreement of the Cabinet I am part of.

"We are putting the manufactured units on the border of Morgan's Point, by the Railway Trail. We intend to place these units throughout the community."

In the Senate on November 16, Sen. Burch said: "I will get into hot water for this. At the moment there are all sorts of wonderful plans for Morgan's Point. As Minister, I'll be putting the brakes on that right now."

Premier Alex Scott announced yesterday that the first six prefabs would be available for habitation by the end of February.

"The installation of services is being done concurrently with the laying of the foundation and the first six units will be available within this first quarter."

He added that work on a second site at Beacon's Hill, where two units will be placed, will start as soon as the foundations at Morgan's Point are completed.