Government has agreed to consider offering compensation to householders who do not develop their land in a move to save scarce open spaces.

Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson told a public meeting he would look at the possibility, but warned that paying back loans needed for the scheme would be difficult and costly.

Mr. Hodgson was responding to a suggestion made by chartered surveyor Ted Gauntlett and Government Conservation Officer Dr. David Wingate at an Open Spaces meeting held to discuss protecting undeveloped land.

Mr. Gauntlett told the meeting at Sandys Middle School on Thursday that Government should consider floating bonds on the market to raise money for compensation which could be repaid in 30 years time.

He said a proper compensation scheme for people who did not develop their lands and were now banned from building because of new zoning would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Government will consider open spaces compensation Mr. Hodgson agreed it was unfair that one family may be unable to build on their land while neighbours had made a lot of money from constructing houses.

"That doesn't seem to be equitable. How do we approach it?'' Mr. Gauntlett said: "It all boils down to money. The cost to Government, if it addressed compensation for people who had given up the rights to build, would be hundreds of millions of dollars.

"The only way to finance it would be to float wilderness defence bonds to raise private investment which could be repaid in 20-30 years time.

"This problem has been around for some time and it needs to be addressed. I hope Goverment will give relief to people who have given up enormous amounts for the betterment of Bermuda.'' Mr. Hodgson said the Progressive Labour Party inherited $160 million of debt which has risen to more than $200 million.

Government had so many projects of its own which it would have to deliver to its own supporters before the next election and it had already been criticised for slow progress.

He said: "There is no difficulty getting money, the problem with getting money is you have to pay it back. But I thank you for your contribution. The question of bonds will be looked at.'' Mr. Hodgson said Government was sensitive to the problem of a lack of undeveloped land, which was why it set up the open Spaces Committee last year.

He hoped the Government would buy up more open space than previous administrations.

Government was committed to keeping open tribe roads and securing access to beaches, which will be included in a new Green Paper which will evolve from existing regulations.

Dr. Wingate said the density of development on the Island mushroomed from one house on every two acres in 1900 to two houses on every acre now, with some parts of Bermuda having six houses per acre.

Open spaces had been eroded because the Island was divided into small packets of land which had been progressively developed.

He said: "There is no way we are going to sufficiently address the issue of continued fragmentation of open spaces without compensation for restrictive zoning.'' The Open Spaces committee, chaired by PLP Rev. Wilbur Lowe and consisting of conservationists and developers, will hold a further public meeting in St.

George's at a later date.