The owners of Southlands say protesters have little chance of buying the South Shore property from developers.

At a meeting on Sunday night, campaigners were urged to club together to buy the 37-acre site in Warwick. Environmentalist David Wingate told more than 100 protestors: "Let's help to build a war chest for the purchase of open spaces."

However, last night Craig Christensen of Southlands Ltd. said the land was not for sale. Commenting on the possibility of the community purchasing the land earmarked for development, he said: "I wouldn't give it much hope. It would be very doubtful."

Welcoming Cabinet's approval of a Special Development Order for Jumeirah Southlands, Mr. Christensen said: "I personally think it's great that they have collectively seen the benefits of tourism and the need for upgraded units for our visitors, and that they've recognised Jumeirah as one of the leading ¿ if not the best ¿ hotel operator in the world."

Mr. Christensen said he could not disclose how much the land was worth, but real estate agent Jeff Payne of Roderick DeCouto said: "A price of about $35 million has been bandied about as what the developers paid for it."

Mr. Payne said: "There is a huge variance here in that firstly, the land is valued according to the zoning.

"If it was a piece of land of 37 acres and and zoned Residential One, which could be divided into 150 little lots, it would be worth a fortune. However, in its present state it's got nothing like the development power of a Residential One zone.

"There are half a dozen properties, such as little cottages and the main house, but all around there is green space, woodland and planting land. The area across the road which is the cliff top carries its own restrictions."

Cabinet announced the SDO for Southlands on Thursday, following weeks of rumours. Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield, who is responsible for rubber stamping SDOs, said last night that a final decision is "soon".

Jumeirah Southlands would offer tourist accommodation in a variety of suites and condominiums. The 311-suite cliffside resort would feature five restaurants and bars, a nightclub, spa, swimming pools, equestrian centre and conference centre.

Up to 135 of the suites will be for sale as fractional vacation units, with the remaining 176 as hotel accommodation.

Mr. Christensen said last night that if the public could gain access to the beach without going over "private" hotel property they would be entitled to use it.

"It will be like Cambridge Beaches, The Reefs and Tucker's Point, in that you can't walk across the resort property. But if you can get to the beach another way, such as by boat, then there's nothing to stop people using it," he said.

Dubai-based Jumeirah Group wants to complete the first stage of the 497-bed resort by next summer, with completion in 2010.

Government says the hotel is needed to cater for the Island's booming tourism. Jumeirah Southlands would be the first "luxury resort" constructed in Bermuda for 35 years and would offer 590 full-time jobs.

Environmental campaigners however, say the development will destroy one of the Island's last remaining large areas of open space. They claim the resort will also wipe out natural habitats and increase traffic congestion.

Concern to protect the natural coastline was heightened last month when the Government approved an SDO for a nine-storey hotel next to Southlands, on the Golden Hind site. The 220-room Grand Atlantic Resort and Residences by Atlantic Development covers 13.1 acres.

Accusing the Government of not listening to the people, Shadow Environment Minister Cole Simons said yesterday: "Last March, I said the Government's request for public comment on the plan for a hotel at Southlands would be nothing but an empty exercise.

"We cannot, and must not have, major hotel development decisions made in the hallowed halls of Government only. As previously predicted, nothing said by the United Bermuda Party, nothing said by environmental activists, nothing said by the people of Warwick, nothing said by anybody was going to make a difference.

"This SDO will change the face of Warwick forever. If we look at Southlands, along with the Special Development Order for the nearby Golden Hind property, the residents of South Shore Road, Dunscombe Road, and Rocklands Estate will see the one of the largest tracts of open space in Warwick wiped off the map.

"There will be an additional 800 employees and 1,500 tourists, added to the 6,000 residents already residing within the two square miles of residential area. Adding to which, there will be the additional burden of continued traffic gridlock.

"The Southlands-Golden Hind developments will create a hotel strip that the people of Warwick fought hard against more than ten years ago, and they continue to do so. Their aggravation is now acerbated by the fact that the current Government has taken them for granted, and have not had the courtesy to meet and share their ideas, and listen to their concerns.

"The United Bermuda Party supports the resurgence of Bermuda's Tourism and new hotel development. We support initiatives to improve or redevelop existing hotel properties so that we can succeed as a premier tourism destination.

"We have and will continue to invite tourism investment dollars to this Island, and so we welcome Jumeirah Group. We welcome the Atlantic Resort Group.

"But we must look out for Bermuda's garden state and our limited land resources. We can not have hotel development sites springing up like mushrooms. If Bermuda has unbridled hotel development, the result will be a disaster.

"If we don't move to preserve the land, we stand to lose a quality of life that has always been with us. Preservation of our open spaces is about keeping Bermuda beautiful. It's about preserving the Island as we know it, not just for ourselves, but for generations of Bermudians not yet born."