Critics of a plan to build additional housing at Prospect are ignoring the need to conserve open spaces, according to Housing Minister Ashfield DeVent.

The Minister, who last week withdrew a Planning Department application to go ahead with the proposals, said that simply building on available land to provide more affordable housing was not the solution to the crisis, he said.

?None of them has shown an environmentalist or conservationist attitude. Just build there, they say. Without greenery and trees in a Country where we get our water from rainfall we will find ourselves in a whole heap of trouble,? he said.

Mr. DeVent was speaking on the heels of Monday?s debate on the Prospect controversy.

Legislators agreed that the plan should be put on hold until a compromise can be hammered out with the residents.

?I was always prepared to compromise and I have withdrawn the Planning application and I surely hope that the residents would come to the table in good faith and at least begin to embrace compromise,? Mr. DeVent said.

?If we as a community don?t begin to embrace compromise and understand we have limited space we are going to find ourselves in deep trouble.?

Residents of the 169-unit complex have complained of longstanding maintenance issues that need to be resolved.

?I am aware of their concerns and I am aware that promises have been made that weren?t kept and I do intend to follow through on those issues,? he said

?I had always said I was willing to compromise.

?And the UBP made it a political football.

?It was irresponsible and poor leadership, and the first thing they should have done was to speak to the people and say ?let us compromise? ?.

The Opposition had moved a motion rejecting the plans due to their ?negative? psychological, emotional and physical impact on the Devonshire community.

But it was replaced with a Government motion postponing any building until a compromise is worked out.

Mr. DeVent said the new condominium complex developed by Sir John Swan was far denser than the Prospect complex.

?The country has to begin thinking about change,? he said. ?Everybody loves that space ? and that?s 60 units in 0.45, less than half an acre, so they are living on top of each other.?

Prospect is zoned for 20 units per acre, he said. ?What?s the psychological impact of those people living in Atlantis??

He said: ?They want to build anywhere there?s green space. If I begin to build on green space then I will get opposition from the conservationists.

?I?m one of those people who would like to see green space saved for all of us ? without trees we are finished.?

He repeated concerns that failing to provide adequate affordable housing would create additional social problems.

And he said he was not hopeful that the private sector could, in time, correct the shortage.

?I would love to see that happen, however most of the condo developments are out of the reach of the average working person.?