Dear Sir,

The Bermuda Audubon Society has written to home affairs minister Walter Roban in support of the Bermuda National Trust’s appeal against the granting of the Judkin Lane quarrying application. We would like to address some misconceptions regarding the quarry issue and summarise the points made to the minister.

There has already been quite a bit of discussion in the media and online about the quarry and the need for roof slate. In fact, what this is really about is an attempt to build a very large house with a pool and ancillary structures on land that is zoned for protection as woodland reserve.

The quarry application appears to have been granted based on the assumption that planning permission will be given for a separate application, submitted at the same time as the quarry application, for the building of a 6,000-square foot house on the site after excavation.

The extent of the quarrying that has been permitted matches the footprint of the proposed development. Normally, applications to quarry stone where house foundations are being excavated are not granted until after the house application has been granted.

In this case, the process has been reversed. The house application has yet to be considered and has been the subject of several objections based on the protective zoning of the land.

Red more here: http://www.royalgazette.com/letters-to-the editor/article/20191129/protecting-our-conservation-zones