After an apparently successful 15-month campaign to preserve the pristine ‘Southlands’ estate as a national parkland, the agreed land swap between the Bermuda Government and Southlands Ltd. appears to be in serious jeopardy. Southlands Ltd says: “We are going to Morgan’s Point.” The Government says the deal is falling away. BEST is actively monitoring and engaging in these developments. Watch this site for the latest updates and calls to action.
BEST’s Objection to Southland’s zoning in the Draft Development Plan 2008
This submission is to object to the Draft Bermuda Plan 2008, Zoning Map 44. We wish to object to the current zoning
designation of the property known as “Southlands.” We respectfully submit that those areas currently zoned “tourism” should
be rezoned as National Park, Open Space and Nature Reserve to reflect the stated Government intention for this property.
Additionally, a woodland buffer zone between the area to the North zoned Residential 1 and the greater “Southlands”
property should be established.
BEST’s Tribunal Presentation on Southlands
The Southlands issue is a vexatious dilemma. According to published reports, the Bermuda Government announced it had “signed the official land transfer” (of Morgan’s Point for Southlands) on 1 April 2008. To us, and indeed to any sensible person, such an announcement inferred that it was indeed appropriate to review and revise the Southlands’ property zonings. We at BEST had every justification to propose zoning changes. In fact, given the above announcement, the government, through its Planning Department, should have been leading the thrust to rezone this near-pristine property. It has been left to organizations such as BEST to propose that areas within Southlands be rezoned, if for no other reason than to insure that we don’t end up with both Morgan’s Point AND Southlands being developed.
BEST Presentation to Tribunal on Southlands
