The Parks Commission has been consulted and a location recommended for the temporary entertainment structure already being erected at Horseshoe Bay Beach, Government said last night.

In a joint Press statement issued last night the Ministries of Tourism and of Environment said the Department of Tourism has submitted the required paperwork for the temporary structure, which is currently being reviewed by the Ministry of the Environment.

Tourism had wanted the structure in the middle of Bermuda's best-known beach but an overzealous contractor began work before Planning permission was obtained, according to Government sources.

A stop order was put in place on Wednesday and will remain until Tourism have got the necessary documents for the stage which will be up between May and October. Last night the Ministries noted the application for the construction of the stage must now go before the Development Applications Board.

The National Trust has also expressed concern.

Trust Environmental Conservation Officer Dorcas Roberts said: "The National Trust is wary of any action that increases the level of commercialisation of our public parks and beaches, fearing that such actions could threaten their long-term environmental viability."

Before the Government Press statement was released yesterday, Southampton resident and environmentalist Graeme Outerbridge, who first raised the alarm about the structure, said: "If Government wants people to conform with the Planning legislation they had better set an example and go through the due process so if people have concerns they can object.

"Sometimes objections have value, they are not necessarily obstructive.

"The whole thing was rushed through by one Ministry without regard to the other Ministry.

"It's fixed in a very insensitive location vis-a-vis the natural beauty of the beach.

"The four-by-four footings hardly look temporary. If you are putting it up just for the season one would expect something far more transitory," said Mr. Outerbridge who uses the beach almost daily for exercise.

He added: "It's my church. It is not the purview of any particular Ministry or political party. It is a public beach.

"People don't necessarily go there for live music but for a quiet place to swim.

"There must be some general discussion before its rammed through."

Mr. Outerbridge said the stage should have been a collapsible structure in the western end near power lines rather than in the middle.

He said the usual location for stages, at the entrance, meant those wanting to escape the noise could go the other end.

The beach had recently won a magazine award for its beauty said Mr. Outerbridge but that would now be compromised and he said the barrier sand dune at the back, which had already been eroded by Hurricane Fabian, had suffered further damage from excavation.

However Tourism Minister Ewart Brown said the stage was "in keeping with our mandate to develop and enhance the local entertainment offering".

"We are very excited about this, and once a location for the structure has been chosen, the stage will be used throughout the course of the summer season to serve as an entertainment venue for visitor activity."