Harbour Road residents are up in arms about plans to renovate the Newstead Hotel, claiming the plans were submitted in a 'deceptive' manner in order to get them approved before residents could file their objections.

However Planning officials were open about the process, saying it was their error and the department readvertised the development to help clear up the confusion.

The Newstead expansion is being conducted by Belmont Hills owner Kevin Petty. Mr. Petty plans to demolish the existing hotel save for the original two-storey porch, and expand from 41 rooms into a 104-room resort, with 78 rooms in the new hotel and 26 in existing cottages.

Residents are concerned not only about their views being blocked, extra traffic, and plans for dealing with sewage at the property, but also the appearance of the new hotel itself.

Harbour Road resident and honourary French consul Edgar Humann said the development was "out of character with the neighbourhood", and Harbour Road landlord Charles Zuill described the plans as "quite frankly a thumbing of the nose at the community" and a "typical motel format".

Several residents were unable to submit their objections regarding the development to Planning, however, as they did not realise plans for the development had been submitted to Government.

It is understood that the plans for the Newstead development were submitted under the Belmont Hills name ? a source of great confusion for those searching under the name of Newstead.

"I went in to see the plans and was told they were not in yet," said Mr. Zuill. "Even people in Planning didn't know.

"It seems it was done that way on purpose, to deceive... There was deception used and the upper echelons in Planning went along with it. This enhances the perception that all is not above board."

Mr. Zuill found out about the plans three days before the December deadline and immediately wrote a letter to Planning asking for an extension to the deadline. However he was told that would not happen.

He then quickly sent in his formal objections and, like Mr. Humann, was just able to make the deadline.

"Some people only found out about the plans an hour before the deadline," he said.

"They're doing themselves a great disservice. There is an age-old perception that Planning is corrupt ? that can't be proven, but this reinforces it.

"Planning was initially established to protect the environment," he said. "It no longer does that. Now it seems it's in place to facilitate development."

However senior Planning official Larry Williams responded: "There was no deception whatsoever."

As Belmont Hills was the developer of the property, he said, that was the name that had to appear at the top of the planning application. "The address ? 27 Harbour Road ? is still the same. The name makes no difference, it's the address that's the key thing. But in Bermuda, how do we function? We go by place names."

However, because of the controversy which ensued, Planning re-advertise the application last week, including "Newstead" in the name on the application. "We advertised it again because we erred (in not making it clear), not the developers," said Mr. Williams.

"I have informed Mr. Petty and his agents, and they are not unhappy, they understood it might've been deemed to be deception."

The move gives residents about another two weeks to object, he said. "They've gotten two bites of the cherry."

Mr. Humann said he has, through intermediaries, offered to sit down with the principles of the development and discuss residents' concerns, including sewage disposal. He has not yet had a reply to his offer, however.

"If their answers are satisfactory, obviously I'll withdraw my objections," he said.