effectively, and safety and security must be enforced, it was announced yesterday.

Environment Minister Irving Pearman unveiled a report marking the first step in the preparation of a new plan for the City of Hamilton.

The New City of Hamilton Plan -- Towards a Shared Vision, stemmed from research on the city and opinions raised in consultation meetings with various Government and business groups plus the public.

"There appears to be a broad consensus on a number of issues,'' Mr. Pearman said. "These include the need for action to upgrade and improve the city, particularly north-east Hamilton; to make more of Hamilton's waterfront; and to address a perceived safety and security problem in the city.'' The main theme raised in the report, he continued, concerned traffic problems but a study into these began on October 1 under UK transport consultants, Symonds Travers Morgan.

The report said measures needed to be taken in the northeast of Hamilton to improve the economic and social conditions of the area's residents.

It advised that this help should take the form of self-help programmes and/or partnerships between the public and private sectors.

It added that encouraged residential development in Hamilton would help give the city greater vitality.

Mr. Pearman noted: "The resident population of the City has decreased a further 32 percent while the number of persons employed in Hamilton has increased 25 percent.'' The report put the increase in employment down to the growth of international business and financial services, but noted development was mainly taking place on the city's western side.

"These businesses place a premium on top-quality office accommodation which provides larger, more efficient floor areas and which is in prime locations with good access to financial institutions and hotels.'' This led to vacant sites in the eastern half of Hamilton.

Hamilton report And it was unlikely that the city's northeast would attract similar development.

However the report noted that small-scale professional offices might be located in these areas, although the problem of security and safety in the northeast would have to be addressed.

The development of the Court Street area in the style of Bourbon Street, New Orleans, with its local bars, clubs and shops, could have potential in the tourism arena, the report suggested.

"Preliminary meetings with business proprietors in the area indicate that there is sufficient interest and energy to achieve such a transformation although it would require careful coordination and significant investment.'' However, a major impediment to tourist development there was considered to be the lack of safety and security, continued the report.

While crime figures were down over previous years, added the report, they "paint a picture of Hamilton as the focus of criminal activity in Bermuda''.

It noted that the plan could identify an appropriate site in the Court Street area where the Hamilton Police Station could be relocated "as a means of addressing crime in that area''.

This would also help improve trade for shops in the area, the report added.

Also on the tourism front was the need to consider incorporating new cruise ship facilities in planned improvements to the waterfront which many people believed were underutilised.

Cruise liners were increasing in size, noted the report, and this might require the docks to be reconfigured.

But, at the same time, "there are concerns about congestion and the way these large ships prevent access, both visual and actual, to the Hamilton waterfront''.

The development of the waterfront could rejuvenate Hamilton which was seen in the report to have "a rather staid image and little urban ambience''.