principle by the entire Government, Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge asserted yesterday.

And he maintained that the plan is good for Bermuda.

Hitting out at the editorial in Saturday's The Royal Gazette , he said: "The tone of The Royal Gazette editorial ... makes it necessary for me as Minister of Tourism to put the whole question of the re-development of the Elbow Beach Hotel into its proper perspective.'' The editorial said Mr. Woolridge had been a "renegade'' in supporting the scheme and questioned the wisdom of allowing hotels to sell condominiums.

"On March 5, 1991, the Government (not the Minister of Tourism acting independently) set up a special committee to study the Elbow Beach redevelopment proposal, a study which embraced three principal phases: The total renovation and refurbishment of the existing hotel; The building of an additional 122 hotel suites, 11 palace suites and a 20,000 square foot conference facility; and The purchase of Fritholme Estate for the construction of 39 condominiums for acquisition by non-Bermudians.

"As a consequence of the report of this committee, the Elbow Beach redevelopment plan was approved in principle by the entire Government, subject to the normal detailed Planning approvals,'' he said.

"It is incorrect, therefore, to suggest that the plan was approved by only one "renegade'' Minister, or that my support was "defiant of the whole Cabinet''.

Mr. Woolridge said he supported the Elbow scheme as Tourism Minister because it would inject capital into the economy, would rpvide jobs for the hotel and tourism industries and would allow Government to promote the Islanfd as a convention centre using tax exemptions.

Elbow Beach's plans have alread been opposed by The Bermuda National Trust, and the general manager of nearby visitor resorts -- Coral Beach Club and Horizons and Cottages.

The Trust's Environmental Committee cited "grave concern'' about the size and height of a proposed six-storey extension to the hotel as one of its reasons and plans for the condominiums and beachfront "Palace Suites''.

General manager of Horizons Limited, which owns Coral Beach and Horizons and Cottages, Mr. George Wardman said in a letter to the Planning Department: "We object strongly to the bloated, grandiose and pompous dimensions of the scheme, completely out of character with the site, the location and the neighbourhood''. He also said it would break up the green belt running alongside the beach.