Building on the new $9 million residential care centre for delinquent youths could get underway later this year after planning approval was granted by the Minister of the Environment.

Permission was given under a special development order to demolish Observatory Cottage, which is presently used for out-of-control teenagers, and replace it with a new, all-encompassing facility built in its place.

The official notices of The Royal Gazette on Friday said the new centre will have:

Four wings providing bedrooms and a common lounge for both boys and girls.

A fifth wing to accommodate a workshop, gymnasium and changing facilities.

A central area for classrooms, along with staff, counsellor and social workers' facilities.

An upper floor that will house a kitchen, dining room, library, conference and training centre and admin offices.

A 6,750 square foot outdoor recreation area.

The 40,000 square foot centre will be purpose-built to treat and house youngsters with behavioural problems who are too young for the prison system.

Health and Family Services Minister Nelson Bascome said the new facility, in Aeolia Drive, Devonshire, would not be a jail, but would be a secure unit to help control young people who run foul of the law.

He said at present, they often ran away from the residential centres in Bermuda and ended up going to some very volatile areas of the Island.

But he hoped the new centre would prevent that, and would, instead, treat the young people so they were able to return to society without any problems before it was too late.

He previously said to The Royal Gazette: "The centre is not going to be a centre for incarceration. It is not going to be a prison.

"We have a number of young people who are out of control. They run away from the centres we have right now. We need to protect these youngsters. That is why we need security in some parts of the new centre - to offer better protection."

Mr. Nelson said he hoped the new facility would be unlike anything else on the Island.

The Minister said it would have a dual-purpose - to deal with severe and low-risk behavioural problems - and he said the aim would be to correct behaviour and get children back out into the community and mainstream education.

It will offer a high security area for serious offenders, as well as a residential part.

He added: "A number of kids with high risk behaviour problems we have had to send abroad because we do not have the facilities in Bermuda to facilitate them.

"There are some very severe issues of behaviour with these kids. The Youth Pathways Village....will offer greater security than we have now to cater for both more serious offenders and those who are at risk.

"It will include counselling and treatment facilities, as well as education, and it will cater for all ages, up to 18."

Mr. Bascome said he hoped construction on the centre would begin later this year.