As objections to building new low rent housing units in Prospect pile up in the Planning Department, outraged area residents plan to march the streets in protest today.

Members of the Prospect Action Committee told last night they would march today at 4.45 p.m. outside of the Government Administration Building.

But the group shied away from actually marching on Parliament.

?There was strong support to march on Parliament, but out of respect for the late Eugene Cox?s daughter Paula Cox (Minister of Finance) they decided not to,? a committee spokesman said last night.

The group has united Prospect residents to fight the controversial development.

?There has been overwhelming support with only 12 out of 169 homes not signing,? the spokesman said.

The group hopes to band with other communities fighting development projects to add further weight to its message in the future.

?What we are trying to do is to mobilise Cedar Park, Frog Lane and Anchorage in St. George?s to show Government that it is a big issue.

?We believe that some people have taken the attitude it is ?not in my backyard? (NIMBY), but if they are going to build in our back yard ? they can build in yours.

?We are looking for as much grassroots support that we can get.?

While the committee wants its message heard, it is also asking that politicians not use the dispute to score political points.

?I just want to let people know that it?s not a political issue and I think that we?ve forgotten the fact that the Government and the Opposition work for the people of Bermuda,? said spokesperson Albertha Waite.

?It?s not about who comes out smelling like a rose, it?s about what they can do, and what we all can do, to help resolve this matter of housing. We just feel that dumping people in one area is not the way to solve the problem because we then create other problems.?

Some sectors of the public have criticised the resisters and accused them of being selfish in opposing Government?s efforts to provide affordable housing.

But Ms Waite said that while homeowners in the area had initially had problems with more recently arrived renters, they had worked together to resolve them and now the community was united.

?We?re not selfish. We have opened our hearts and our arms to welcome these folks (renters). We have treaded very quietly without going to the media, without making a fuss, working with Housing and pointing out to them those folks that we need to deal with regarding the social ills and their behaviour and we?ve done that ? now we?re working well together. We are an example to the rest of the Island,? she continued.

?We?re trying to keep our neighbourhood safe, but we?re not going to resolve this issue if we keep bickering about whose fault it is. Both parties work for the people and sometimes both parties have to put their differences aside and work together for the people who elected them.?

She said at least 100 letters objecting to the proposals had been sent in to Planning, by the deadline today.

The residents have been having talks with their political representative about the plans to build 34 additional units on top of flat roofed houses on Alexandra Road, and were enraged to discover two weeks ago that Government had applied for Planning permission to forge ahead with the plans.

The Opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP) immediately gave notice of a House motion rejecting the plans, while Sunday Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent met with the residents and urged them to compromise.

Asked if the UBP was politicising the issue, Ms Waite said: ?In a way yes, and in a way no. When we first started out as as a committee we didn?t know what we were doing ? we were just asking for help anywhere and now all that kind of stuff can be put on the backburner.?

She said both parties know of derelict housing that can be fixed up and used for low income families.

?But the people need to understand that if it is loaned to them then they must take care of it. Our people need to get up off their duff and get on with it. People cannot sit down and wait for handouts. They need to get up and do something to contribute. We have too many people out here with low esteem and in many cases it?s their own fault.?

She added: ?All we?re asking is for people to understand our plight. We?re not mean people, we have black, white Portuguese. We have mixed race couples up here and that?s the way God wants the whole world to live, be colour blind and look at each other as human beings.?