Castile Holdings Ltd (owner of former Riddell's Bay Golf and Country Club) has submitted plans to the Department of Planning to make very substantial and unprecedented changes to the nearly 90 acres of protected property. Their "Riddell's Bay Master Plan" proposes to change the zoning of 59.44 acres from Recreational Zoning. 20.87 acres will be changed from Recreation (golf course) to Residential 2 (areas highlighted in brown on the maps). The residential 2 areas have been expanded from the original meeting with the residents two years ago, to include the former holes 1 (tee) 4, 5, 6 (green), 7 (tee), 8, 9 and 15 (green).  The application focuses on the "increased conservation zoning over more than 38 acres of the site" but this simply means that it will no longer be protected recreational property.  

This visual map clearly shows the true intentions of Castile, to turn the former Riddell's Bay golf course into a busy housing community, with construction, trenching and the like taking place for many years to come. There are other maps that show the road works.  As you can see in this color diagram, there are 7 proposed lots to the West and 9 proposed lots to the East, utilizing the best water-view locations on the property.  The remaining areas are mostly in undesirable locations without a water view.  As our advocate group has always stated, this is not a project to help Bermuda or to increase conservation or nature property, it is very clearly a group of investors who purchased this land at a very, very low price and are now trying to re-zone and sell the most valuable portions for their own financial gain. 

Imagine the destruction and 'carbon footprint' that these plans would cause to the land, water and wildlife.  21 potential new, large houses, all producing emissions, plumbing, waste, damage to virgin coastline and waters, to name just a few.  While the applicant often quotes “environmental experts”, none of them support changing the zoning of almost 21 acres of recreational land to residential 2. The construction of at least 21 homes, with the required infrastructure will certainly negatively impact the “Nature Reserve” that the experts have been hired to advise on. The applicant states they are not “real estate developers” and are selling the residential 2 lots to outside parties. This conveniently removes their responsibility to have their “unprecedented model of conservation management”. It will no longer be applicable to the 21 acres of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the Master Plan once the applicant has sold the land  

This plan sets a dangerous precedent for the limited amount of property in Bermuda that is zoned Recreation, including athletic fields, sports clubs and other golf courses.

We ask that you please send in an Objection Letter to The Department of Planning before July 26th to prevent this travesty from happening.  As we have recently seen, the St. George's Golf and Country club is in the process of being restored after three decades of being closed.   It is absolutely feasible to do the same to Riddell's Bay golf course after a mere three years.  The infrastructure remains, all that needs to be done is to grow the appropriate grass and re-establish the fairways, greens and tees and keep the property as a true, protected recreation zone.  The Bermuda Tourism Authority is promoting Bermuda as a premiere golfing destination and Riddell's Bay Golf and Country club, Bermuda's oldest golf course, needs to be added back to the list for our tourists and residents alike.  Bermuda does not need more houses, but it most definitely needs recreational land to be protected for years to come. 

Objectors to the Application must include the reference number  (Reference S0020/19) and must submit the objection before July 26, 2019.   Please send your objections to:

Acting Director of Planning, Department of Planning, Dame Lois Brown-Evans Building, 5th Floor, 38 Court Street, Hamilton HM 12

Email: lqwilliams@gov.bm ; cbulley@gov.bm; cwright@gov.bm; tndoran@gov.bm

Reference: S0020/19: Castile Holdings/ Riddell's Bay

A hard copy should be delivered to the Planning Department, if possible, in addition to emailing the various representatives.  

Email us at: riddellsbaymemberscommittee@gmail.com for further details.