United States Naval Air Station.

Officials at the planning department are expecting 200 new apartments to become available if the Base closes in the next two years.

They would be added to 180 lots already standing empty in the St. George's area.

The figures were revealed by Planner Mr.

David Moore during the objections tribunal into the Bermuda Plan.

Mr. Moore was defending the department's decision to restrict building on Cable and Wireless land off Cut Road in St. George's.

The land, in three parcels, extends from St. George's Harbour to North Shore.

The northern part has been zoned green space to which there is no objection.

But Cable and Wireless has objected to the zoning of the central area which is partly residential and partly agricultural, woodland reserve and open space, and the southern area zoned woodland reserve. The company wants the areas to be zoned residential to allow for the building of any new facilities for its equipment.

Cable and Wireless lawyer Mr. David Cooper said: "This company is an important part of Bermuda. The telecommunications provider should have the opportunity to put up structures to enable it to go about its business.

"The open space zoning does not allow for this. That seems complete nonsense to me. It is an international telecommunications business that cannot do anything remotely related to its business on that land.'' Mr. Moore stated that the only submission the planning department had received was for residential housing.

And he added that there was no demand for housing in St. George's. "At the moment there are 180 vacant lots in St. George's,'' he said.

"Each year an average of 15 units are developed. There is a substantial surplus of residential lots in St. George's.

"On top of that, over the next two years 200 units currently rented by military personnel in the St. George's and St. David's area will come into circulation.'' Mr. Moore added that where previously Cable and Wireless had erected aerials on the land there could be a case for them erecting new telecommunications structures. But he said it was a "grey area.'' The objections tribunal, chaired by Mr. Jack Lightbourn, has been formed to look into complaints about the Bermuda Plan.

Overall there were 1,159 protests but many have been resolved, leaving the tribunal to look into more than 400.