first time against a plan to divide Bermuda College's Stonington campus into two different development zones.

Under the new Bermuda Development Plan the area on which the College's 192-bed hotel sits and all the land southward will be considered a tourism development zone.

The remainder of the campus will remain as institutional development zoning.

But College president Dr. George Cook has objected to the proposed tourism zoning before the tribunal dealing with some 400 complaints against the Bermuda Plan.

Stressing that there was no distinction between the College and Stonington Beach Hotel, Dr. Cook told the tribunal last month that the hotel was built to be the hospitality training facility for the College and not for commercial reasons.

He said Stonington was quite different from commercial properties like its neighbour Elbow Beach and the split zoning would inhibit the College's educational role.

And Dr. Terceira yesterday supported Dr. Cook's view.

"Dr. Cook was quite right in putting in an objection to it (the plan),'' he told The Royal Gazette .

"It's a unique situation. All hotels are zoned tourism development. But Stonington is different.

"Dr. Cook quite rightly said there was no distinction between the hotel and College.

"The hotel comes under the College so it continues as an integral part of the Bermuda College and does not put any constraints on the College.'' Dr. Terceira was earlier criticised by Shadow Education Minister Ms Jennifer Smith for not appearing before the tribunal with Dr. Cook and for remaining silent on the issue.

Ms Smith said Dr. Terceira's silence over the zoning gave the impression Government had "unrevealed'' plans for Stonington Beach Hotel, which did not include the College.

"I recall when the Stonington property was first purchased Government had made statements assuring the public, whose funds had built the facilities, that although the hotel training facility was being built first, the whole area was to be used for the Bermuda College facility,'' she said.

"The College has a very critical and valuable role to play given that it allows so many young people who might not otherwise be able to afford it to have access to post-secondary education.

"The UBP Government by casting this doubt and uncertainty over the future of the College does an injustice to those young people who rely on its facilities.'' But Dr. Terceira yesterday explained he had been avoiding making any comment on the issue because it might have been misinterpreted as an attack against the Environment Ministry.

But he stressed he would support Dr. Cook in his efforts to keep the College under institutional zoning.

And he said he was sure the objections tribunal would give the "correct ruling''.