Political activist Rolfe Commissiong is taking up the torch for Island environmentalists in his fight to save one of the few remaining plots of open land in Devonshire.

And his calling on his neighbours to do the same.

Mr. Commissiong's pleas to Government last year to halt the construction of eight two-storey houses in the Jubilee Road area known as the "marshland", fell on deaf ears.

However, his suggestions for Government to develop a sustainability plan to protect open land has been taken seriously and meeting were held last week.

"I'm somewhat happy that Government is looking into a long-term plan to find a balance between development and the need for open spaces," he said.

As for the development in Jubilee Road, Mr. Commissiong said that no one would have dared build houses in a marshland ten years ago, but because of Bermuda's overheated housing market, he said, "anything goes now".

Mr. Commissiong estimated that the two-storey homes would go for about $1.2 million and said this would not serve the broader interests of Bermudians and would further overheat the housing market and lead to greater traffic congestion in the neighbourhood.

"There's not much more I can do to save that land anymore," he said.

He said it was now up to residents to send written objections to the Department of Planning.

"They need to think about how a large development of this kind will effect their neighbourhood," he said.