Government will not be building 20 new homes at Mary Victoria Road and Alexandra Road, Housing Minister David Burch confirmed yesterday.

He told : ?They are not going to go ahead.?

The Minister said he met with residents last November when concerns were raised about the mixture of rental and owned properties in the development.

He said he took those issues into account when reaching a decision ? and added that the lost property space could be found elsewhere through Government?s three housing quangos.

Residents? spokeswoman Albertha Waite said on Friday that Senator Burch informed residents last week that the Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) was not going to go ahead with the development.

?We had a meeting with Col. Burch who said they were not going to build,? Mrs. Waite said. ?He did say (the Development Applications Board) failed the plans. He is not going to appeal it. He said they failed them.

?We had a lovely meeting and I am grateful. In his words, we are unique.?

BHC first applied to build a 34-unit housing project at Mary Victoria Road and Alexandra Road in March, 2004, then withdrew it for a scaled-back 20-unit version last April.

However, the April plan received many objections from residents, so a special hearing before the DAB was held at the Bermuda Industrial Union in September, 2005, because the boardroom at Planning was not big enough.

For the last seven months the DAB has deferred its decision ?pending additional information? ? including making a site visit, which Mrs. Waite said was vital in getting the BHC plan turned down.

?We could not have done it without the site visit. It made a big difference,? she said. ?We had to meet with them and invited them to come up to the neighbourhood.

?I would like to thank them on behalf of the whole neighbourhood,? she said.

Mrs. Waite said the area is unique because it has home owners and renters living in very close proximity.

?There is no difference between us,? she said.

?This can show Bermuda that people in different circumstances can come together and foster harmony in the areas they live in. In other parishes and neighbourhoods they do the same thing. They look out for each other.?

Even the children in the area have become more respectful, she said, and always say hello when they pass her on the road.

?Now we can get about with the business at hand, which is to foster the whole neighbourhood,? she said.

?It takes a village to raise a child.?