Licences should soon be issued for businesses to use former Base facilities as the Government moves towards opening the disused land to the public.

The former US Base lands -- which total more than 1,000 acres -- were handed over to the Government last September.

A broad use plan has been drawn up to guide future development and it is expected it will be ratified by Government later this month.

Finance Minister Grant Gibbons has now announced that short-term licences will soon be issued allowing businesses to take advantage of the opportunities at the St. David's base.

In addition, a pricing and leasing policy will soon be released and tendering to use parts of the Naval Air Station will go ahead shortly.

The work is being carried out by the Land Development Transition Office -- which will be replaced by the Land Development Corporation, due to be up and running next Spring.

It will have powers to plan, finance, market and develop the base lands for "the benefit of the people and the economy of Bermuda''.

Mr. Gibbons said: "The licensing agreements will be primarily for warehousing and storage. They will have the effect of generating activity and income at the St. David's base prior to major development.'' Of the pricing and leasing policy, Mr. Gibbons said: "Although it will be market-driven and based on private sector best practices for property management, it also recognises that the base lands must make room for groups and organisations who serve community needs.

"In that regard, pricing will not be exclusively driven by bottom line considerations.'' Mr. Gibbons said the Transition Office will soon be listing base facilities for competitive tender. The first item will be a concession licence for Clearwater Beach which will be issued in December.

"Selective tendering of other NAS parcels will follow Clearwater Beach. We intend to release certain facilities to tender in a phased manner and by geographic location.

"In this way we will be able to open land to the public in stages while maintaining control over areas whose conditions require significant remediation.'' Mr. Gibbons said the Transition Office was also drawing up development briefs for the Naval Annex and Daniel's Head which will circulated to interested groups, inviting them to submit bids for the development of both areas.

He also noted that in America 31 bases had closed since 1988 and only 11 have succeeded in creating more than half the civilian jobs they lost with closure.

"Unlike the experience elsewhere, the Government is determined to get things rolling at the former base lands as soon as possible.''