A nursery on the outskirts of Hamilton "must not be allowed to happen'' a lawyer for area residents told a planning appeal hearing on Friday.

But the lawyer for the owner of the nursery said her client is facing a backlash from residents who suffer from the "not in my backyard'' syndrome.

The site, Landsdown, 6 Richmond Road, is a private home but the owner of Bloomfield Nursery, Caroline Gosling wishes to turn it into a school for up to 60 pre-schoolers.

The hearing, held in the Senate Chamber, was conducted by British planning inspector Brian Field, who must make his findings available to Environment Minister Harry Soares within 28 days.

Tim Marshall of Marshall and Company, representing several area residents, said the neighbourhood had suffered enough.

He said the immediate area had the Bermuda High School for Girls and another nursery and one of the objectors faced the prospect of having her property sandwiched between the two nurseries.

"They're not against nurseries,'' Mr. Marshall said. "They just do not need it. Except for a few neighbourhood kids, the vast majority of the 60 children will be from all over the island.'' He said the neighbours had been dealing with the growth of the Montessori and then Woodrose nurseries since 1986 as well as heavy traffic.

Several of Mr. Marshall's clients told Mr. Field about conditions on Richmond Road, including one woman who said she could not use her back yard during the day due to noise and now feared losing the use of her front yard as well.

Mr. Marshall added: "If we continue this, we're looking at extinguishing a remarkably quiet neighbourhood. You are looking at a cultural oasis.'' But lawyer Juliana Jack representing Mrs. Gosling, presented the planning histories of several nurseries in residential neighbourhoods.

She said the site -- once a warehouse for Rowe Spurling Ltd. -- is ideal for a nursery with ample playing area and parking.

Ms Jack said the owners had complied with planning directives and the proposed nursery would not be an intrusion on the neighbours.

She added: "The precedent has been set. The site meets every provision for social development of a residential neighbourhood.''