A land swap deal involving Government Quarry and Ship's Hill is not feasible, Works Minister Leonard Gibbons said last night.

The National Trust and Save Open Spaces suggested the idea as a way of saving Ship's Hill from development.

But last night Mr. Gibbons said the idea would raise insurmountable problems about relocation of heavy equipment and even dynamite.

"We need that space,'' said the Minister. "The question I would ask the National Trust and SOS is where would they store everything that is at the Quarry?'' The Trust and SOS outlined the land swap suggestion in objections to the BPL plan to develop Ship's Hill -- which the groups said is an environmentally sensitive area.

BPL maintain its development will not harm the environment, including a cave system and endemic plant and invertebrate species.

Mr. Gibbons added: "The Government Quarry is used for many things. We have a heavy machine shop, carpentry shop, tyre shops and road gangs are based there.

"We have dynamite stored there, vehicles are there, asbestos and slate as well as stores for emergencies in case of a hurricane.

"Trying to relocate all that would be an almost insurmountable task. It is not feasible.'' BPL is seeking final planning permission for the scheme which was fully unveiled earlier this year by BPL president, Ed Trippe who was recently appointed as vice-president of the Bio Station's Board of Trustees.

The company produced an environmental impact statement to support its planning application which said the environment would not be harmed and actually improved by removing plants crowding out endemic species.

SOS gave the report to two overseas experts, Dr. Phil Smith and Dr. Thomas Iliffe, who were brought in earlier this year by the group to study the impact of the development on Ship's Hill.

Dr. Smith said the best environmental option would be to turn Ship's Hill into a nature reserve with compensation given to BPL.

He added that BPL should be asked to look at other land it owned where development could take place without threatening the environment.

"Even if Ship's Hill remains in the ownership of BPL it should be protected from any development due to the importance of the underlying cave systems and the high quality woodland,'' said Dr. Smith.

Dr. Iliffe, who is renowned for cave research in Bermuda, said he believed there was a high potential for "catastrophic collapse'', especially in Bitumen Cave, one of the caves around Ship's Hill.

He added: "Bermuda's cave pools are exceptionally susceptible to damage by pollution that could result in the extinction of critically endangered species known only from these caves.''