Video: Minister Walter Roban On Riddell’s Bay
Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs Walter Roban is joining host Don Burgess today [July 16] for the latest episode in the Bernews News & Views series, with the Minister set to discuss the Riddell’s Bay Special Development Order.
Speaking in Parliament earlier this month, Minister Roban said, “The Order will grant subdivision approval for the purposes of residential development and also to create new conservation lands. Specifically, a total of 18 vacant lots will be approved; each to be developed with a detached house, and additionally, two significantly sized vacant conservation lots will be approved to be comprehensively planted and restored which will provide a number of environmental and public benefits. Such benefits are to include the re- establishment of diverse native and endemic ecosystems as well as opportunities for passive recreational use.
“To specify the details of the scheme, the developer proposes to convert approximately 25% or 23 acres of the total acreage of Riddell’s Bay to residential lots while, at the same time, converting the remaining 75% of the total acreage, 64 acres, to publicly accessible conservation areas.
“Against the backdrop of the current challenges being faced by our community, I am certainly proud to introduce such a scheme that represents a significant ecological and social gain for the island.
“Further, this is one of the largest single luxury developments proposed in some time. It has, undoubtedly, tremendous potential to inject an estimated $75 million capital investment into the economy; provide a much needed stimulus to various business sectors including construction and landscaping, real estate and other retail and service industries; and most importantly, provide jobs for Bermudians.”
Would the Minister/PLP have supported this application if Bermuda not been in the COVID19 pandemic?
How is this an ecological development?
If you are building on it then there is nothing ecological about it, it is diminishing the ecological benefit.
Please don’t throw around buzzwords to make things palettable, when they are not true.
Only 25% of the land is being built on. The balance ends up being nature reserve.
It IS true.
Do you have any idea how much chemical usuage there is on a golf course (which is what it WAS)? All of that will go away and the wetlands in the area will become healthy again.
It is far and away a much better alternative to those who would pour concrete all over the place and build condos, or a hotel.
Please stop this building on Riddles Bay. We have so little land left and you want to just build on it to make money. 18houses build on the beautiful coastline. Stop this SDO.