Government is set to take enforcement action after the Development Applications Board (DAB) turned down the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club's (RHADC) bid to build a boat storage area and car park.

Environmentalists and neighbours were angry when the club ripped out wild vegetation on land zoned agricultural on Pomander Road, Paget.

Now the DAB has recommended Environment Minister Dennis Lister take enforcement action after it refused to grant retroactive planning permission to fill in marsh land for boat storage and parking.

Minutes of last Wednesday's meeting said the Board believed the club had shown blatant disregard for the planning process.

Environmental Conservation Officer Peter Drew said: "The Trust (Bermuda National Trust) is in full agreement with the DAB and Planning Department that unplanned and indiscriminate development is not in the applicant's nor the public's best interest as the current disfigurement of a scenic area along Harbour Road currently attests."

He said the original purpose of raising the level of the land would be acceptable if the Club had consulted with the Trust, Planning Department and Government Agricultural Officer and removed stored and re-graded fertile soil to a new fill layer, not buried and wasted it.

"Such application would preserve the potential of agriculture, encourage the replanting and growth of grasses and screening plants while retaining elements of the previous orchard and small temporary boat storage area," said Mr. Drew.

Neighbour Jenny Purvey was glad the application had been turned down.

She said: "They have done what they have done, now they need to fix it. It should be grassed over and cleaned up.

"It's just white rubble at the moment after they wiped out all the existing vegetation."

The National Trust had also raised concerns that a prominent viewing area along Harbour Road had been filled with rubble creating an eyesore.

However another neighbour, Gay Robinson, said she had been shocked to find the club had ripped out the vegetation but she said it had been a haven for mosquitoes and rats.

She said she was sorry the parking plan had been turned down as parking spilled out on to the street and made it difficult for residents to come and go.

RHADC management committee chairman David Pugh said: "We are disappointed. We tried our best to assist the Board in reaching their decision.

"The last thing we wanted to do was to upset them or our neighbours.

"We will obviously try to work with Planning to rectify the situation to the satisfaction of all concerned.

The Mid-Atlantic Boat and Sports Club in North Shore Road, Devonshire has been granted approval for a new dock and breakwater, the dredging of the existing waterway and a new parking area for 33 cars.

However the DAB have told developers they must take care to conserve and relocate corals.