Taller buildings could soon dominate Hamilton's skyline as the city's Mayor pushes to allow high-rise office and apartment buildings.

Sutherland Madeiros said it is time for taller residential and commercial developments ? and therefore time for the 2001 City Plan to be replaced.

Mr. Madeiros said he had sought advice from an urban planning expert on how the 2001 City Plan, which directs appropriate building height on a "zoning" basis, could be altered.

"Providing that the Corporation agrees with the relaxation of the rules we would go to the Minister of the Environment with respect to relaxing the regulations," he said.

Mr. Madeiros said advice from the urban planner was that it was not obligatory to turn down planning applications just because they breach the plan.

However, he said the Corporation would meet to discuss the proposal to the Minister tomorrow. If she agrees, the plan would be re-written after a detailed review and a period of public consultation.

Asked how tall buildings could get in future, Mr. Madeiros said: "I understand that there will be people who have concerns. I don't think people should, because the skyline inevitably will change at any rate.

"We are just delaying the inevitable. If you try to restrict the height of buildings, your grandchildren and great grandchildren will look back and say how short sighted you were with a shortage of land, not letting buildings go high in the city."

But he added: "There will still be limits. I don't think we could have unlimited heights. I don't think we would go to 60 storeys."

Current regulations states that no building should be six storeys high, although in some areas of Hamilton it can be seven. It was a restriction brought in to make sure that views of the Cathedral were not spoiled. He also revealed that the plans for the new Ritz Carlton hotel in the Par-la-Ville car park could be higher than first mooted.

A nine-storey hotel has already been approved by Government through a special development order (SDO). That in itself would make it the first development to break the city's seven-storey limit for buildings under the current city plan.

However, Mr. Madeiros believes the developers "wish to go somewhat higher" although the final plans have not been submitted, and he does not know for sure.

Ground could be broken for hotel project as soon as this summer.

Mr. Madeiros also hit out at the National Trust, which has opposed a ten-storey office block planned by Sir John Swan on Front Street between Spurling Hill and King Street.

The National Trust argued the building is not permitted under current planning legislation and the development would compromise views from Fort Hamilton.

Defending the plan, Mr. Madeiros said the reason for the increased height was to allow the building to be set further back off the street than required, on a smaller footprint.

"I think the objection by the National Trust was somewhat ill-founded as I don't think they understand the project," he said.

The smaller footprint, he said, would allow for trees, a fountain, and green space to make it "a more beautiful building."

When asked about relaxing the current height restrictions, the National Trust's new executive director Derek Morris ? who takes over on February 1 ? said he was too new to give a thorough response.

But he added: "We're all a little concerned about Bermuda. We either go up or we go out. We have to be very careful where we go with this stuff.''

Height restrictions may not be the only new idea out of the Mayor's office.

Drivers breaching parking rules in the city of Hamilton will be wheel-clamped in future, if Mr. Madeiros gets his way.

The Corporation is considering approaching Attorney General Phillip Perinchief to ask for the necessary legislation to be put in place.

"I'm concerned about the parking abuses that are taking place and steps are being taken to alleviate the situation, which include clamping and putting equipment in our car parks where people pay as they leave, as in other places in the world," said Mr. Madeiros.

The news came as the Mayor also confirmed that people who usually park in the 249-space Par-la-Ville Road car park will be expected to use Bull's Head while a new hotel is built on the site.

He said the Corporation would make efforts to accommodate anyone with special needs who needed access to parking closer to the city.