harbour front houses, despite a Government official's recommendation to re-design the units.

In a handwritten letter addressed simply to Aideen -- believed to be assistant Planning director Aideen Ratteray-Pryse -- Steve Jackson of the Forward Planning Section described the development as a possible "missed opportunity'' for design.

"The context for the housing development is set by the large, urban scale of the surrounding buildings,'' explained Mr. Jackson's letter.

"Therefore I'm not convinced that the `villa' style of architecture (ie.

suburban) is the most appropriate architectural response.

"It is, I agree, a fairly safe approach -- no-one is really going to complain about Bermudian looking villas on the waterfront.'' Mr. Jackson went on to suggest a "more contemporary interpretation of the Bermuda idiom'' should be pursued to achieve a "more satisfactory water view of the whole development''.

"Villas run the risk of being seen to be out-of-context with their surroundings,'' he continued.

"There are few enough opportunities for good quality contemporary developments of an urban scale -- I would suggest that we should try to encourage a fresh look at the appearance of this development.'' But this week the DAB granted conditional permission for the unchanged plans for nine two-storey villas, and nine three-storey townhouses.