Tucker’s Point Management Ltd has submitted plans to create six additional lots on Glebe Hill and Paynters Road.The application is the first for the site following the approval of a controversial special development order (SDO) intended to allow the development to expand.While Tucker’s Point representatives said that the application is seeking only to subdivide the area, not build anything, Stuart Hayward, chairman of the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce (BEST), alleged that the application attempts to circumvent conditions put in place by the SDO.“The public should note that the developer seems to be attempting, in this the very first application since the granting of the SDO, to sidestep the ‘stringent conditions’ by claiming that the conditions do not apply to this application, claiming that the site is not a sufficiently ‘environmentally sensitive area’ to require the studies set out in the ‘stringent conditions’ and claiming there are no caves in the area, without having conducted or documented the studies that would verify such a claim,” Mr Hayward said.Kevin Cross of the Castle Harbour Ltd executive committee denied this was the case.He said: “The application submitted is to request planning permission to sub-divide and is not for development. Subdivision of lots is the first step in the application process.“The location of, and plans to construct, homes have not been developed at this time. In addition, other studies, as required by the SDO, will be provided to the Department of Planning to assess the proposed development in full compliance with the SDO and the 2008 Planning Statement.“When permission is requested to develop the lots, Tucker’s Point will demonstrate that the proposed homes will be in keeping with the Bermuda image and that the homes will sit comfortably on the site with cut and fill requirements kept to a minimal, similar to many hillside developments in Bermuda.”Development for the property would be controlled not only by the SDO but also by the Bermuda Plan 2008 Planning Statement, the Department of Planning, public access to the application plans, the objection process and the Design Review Board, he added.The SDO for the site intended to allow the construction of luxury homes at the resort property, was approved last March. At the time, it was described as necessary to protect the Tucker’s Point resort from financial ruin.However environmentalists objected to the SDO, noting that proper environmental studies of the area were not carried out, leaving legislators in the dark about the potential impact of development.The Ministry of Environment released a statement after the SDO was approved, saying it did not guarantee Planning approval something which would only be granted if the developer satisfied the “stringent conditions” included in the order.The latest application seeks to create six new lots in the Glebe ‘Hill area. It says that only three of the lots, located on the northern side of the hill, are intended for housing units.Two of the remaining three lots will be left as “open amenity areas”, the application states. The final lot, created as part of one of the housing lots, is “contemplated to be conveyed to neighbouring property south to settle a boundary/adverse possession claim”.A section of the application reads: “This application is for a plan of final subdivision in accordance with paragraph four of the SDO, not for Planning permission to develop/build.“As there are no known cave structures and this site is not located in a ‘more sensitive environmental area’ additional studies as per paragraph 4(2)(f) of the SDO are not required at this time.”Mr Hayward said: “Current owners/managers of the Tucker’s Point Resort may not have realised that the facility used up all its optimal development sites years ago.“As a consequence, any further development in the marginal or environmentally valuable sites designated for development by the SDO will only serve to degrade the whole area to the detriment of hotel, golf course and all pre-existing residential development.”He argued that because of the nature of the area, it would be nearly impossible to develop on most of the lots proposed in the application without major environmental impacts.“The fundamental reason is, quite simply, that most of the lots are either too small and with valuable environmental features, or too steep, or both,” he said.“The cut and fill sections accompanying the plans expose that, despite the incredible steepness of the hillside, it is proposed to cut and fill each lot in its entirety to a common level except for the required setback.“This will result in sheer cliff cuts ranging from an estimated 15ft to 20ft in height — and fill of similar depth — destroying all existing vegetation and disrupting the soil cover over approximately 85 percent of each lot.“It would be equivalent to a major quarry operation and, by default, would violate the conditions written into the SDO governing development on this property.”Mr Hayward said that BEST will formally object to the application. Anyone interested in voicing their concerns can contact BEST: office@best.org.bm or 297-3282.The application is available for viewing at the Department of Planning offices in the Dame Louise Browne-Evans building.Useful websites: www.best.org.bm, www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/tuckerspoint, www.planning.gov.bm.