Management and Technology Minister the Hon. Grant Gibbons.

London-based planning consultant EDAW presented its work over two days last week to Government's Base utilisation committee and a Cabinet sub-committee for their input, Dr. Gibbons told The Royal Gazette .

EDAW has not finished its report, but "we're getting very close to the end'', he said.

EDAW, assisted by local architects Barker & Linberg, has been working on a land use strategy for the US Naval Air Station at St. David's, the US Naval Annex and Tudor Hill in Southampton and the Canadian Forces Station at Daniel's Head.

Government will have control of all those lands once the US Navy pulls out on September 1.

Government has received well over 100 proposals to develop the land, but EDAW will not be suggesting specific uses for specific sites, Dr. Gibbons said.

Instead, the planner is devising a broad framework with which to assess proposals, suggesting some land should have an industrial use, some be used for recreation, and some for tourism, for example.

By this summer, the utilisation commitee and "perhaps an evaluation panel'' will be able to look at proposals "in a more specific sense'', he said.

In preparing a draft plan, the consultants held a series of public meeting and met with a large number of groups and individuals.