Despite appeals from residents in Prospect, the Bermuda Housing Corporation has gone ahead and registered a new planning application for 20 dwelling units on Alexandra and Mary Victoria roads in Devonshire.

In a letter to residents in March last year, Minister of Works and Engineering and Housing Ashfield DeVent assured residents that he would withdraw the application for the original 34 units ?until consulting with residents on the issue?.

However a new application was submitted to Planning on May 2.

Now residents are accusing Mr. DeVent of going back on his word.

In a letter sent to residents in March, 2004, Mr. DeVent told residents he would ?honour? his pledge to withdraw the application pending further consultation with residents? and invited them to work with him to address ?this critical issue that affects so many of our fellow Bermudians?.

?Rubbish!? said Alexandra Road resident Albertha Waite yesterday. ?Mr. DeVent never consulted with residents on any issues.?

Mrs. Waite is on the Prospect Housing Committee and said residents were outraged and disappointed to receive another letter from Mr. DeVent in April this year in which he stated that he withdrew plans for 34 new units in their neighbourhood, but then went ahead and re-submitted plans for 20 dwellings ? without having consulted with residents as he had promised.

?We still have outstanding problems associated with housing in general in the Prospect area and the Minister has not contacted anyone in this committee to set up a meeting to discuss these issues,? she said.

Mrs. Waite asked how Mr. DeVent expected residents to work with him when he did not consult with them.

In this letter dated April 12, Mr. DeVent stated that he had addressed most of their concerns with the paving of roads and increase in lighting. Mrs. Waite said the increased lighting and paved roads were just his attempts at ?pacifying? residents.

She submitted a review from the Police which was conducted on the area in September last year. Police estimate that 34.4 percent of all reported social disorder incidents in Devonshire occurred at the Alexandra Road Estate.

During the same period, there were 76 reported incidents of breaking and entering, 44 removed vehicles, one report of sexual assault, 21 assaults and eight reports of prowling.

Police stated that Alexandra and Mary Victoria Rods were densely populated residential communities, consisting primarily of low-income housing.

Mrs. Waite said adding more families would only place undue pressure on the already overcrowded community.

Since last year residents have started a ?neighbourhood watch? programme and are fighting to implement suggestions by the Police to reduce crime in their area.

This includes removing abandoned vehicles, refurbishing old playgrounds, working on a parks initiative and adding security to the seniors? complex. Mr. DeVent was in meetings last night and unavailable for comment.