places and asphalt ramps which they say have "completely desecrated'' Church Bay Park.

Area residents contacted The Royal Gazette at yesterday's completion of six parking bays by the Department of Agriculture, Parks & Fisheries at the South Shore park.

The residents complained they had been given a "snow job'' by Government who misled them into believing the area's natural beauty would be preserved.

"We felt it was a wild kind of coastal park,'' said one resident who asked to remain anonymous. "It didn't need a lot of spaces for bikes to park and certainly didn't need a wheelchair ramp going down to the beach.

"(We were) assured the parking bays would be marked by telephone poles and if anything, we would have more green in the existing lay-bys. They have done absolutely 100 percent different. They have totally betrayed us.'' The two-feet wide asphalt strips were put in place instead of the asphalt pavers described to residents as part of the initial plans.

The scheme, made public last September, was drawn up primarily by Parks Planner Mr. James Davis. Among other changes, it called for the parking spaces, a new pathway and the part-conversion of two roadside lay-bys to green space.

Some residents feared the Park would be ruined by the plan and objected through the media. However, approval was given by the Minister of the Environment on the recommendation of the department.

"(Mr. Davis) is an American,'' said the resident who said she was against the changes from the beginning. "The changes are fine for a park in Los Angeles, but not for a wild coastal area. They did quite a good snow job on us. Who cares whether the cars are parked neatly? The asphalt doesn't go away at night, cars go away.'' Another resident, Mr. Gordon Monks, said: "It's a public job. If Government makes a mess of something they should redo it. It's sad because I hate to see it go wrong as my wife and I supported it from the beginning.'' Mr. Monks said the department has only completed "half of what they were supposed to do''.

He said the lay-by near the bathroom was supposed to be closed off, and lay-bys opposite St. Anne's church hall and at the southern tip of the park, were to have been grassed-in.

And he said the car park was not supposed to be asphalted and was to accommodate 12 bays, not just six. He also said the absence of signs indicating that the path leading in and out of the park is one-way, is dangerous for road-users.

"I can now say it looks terrible,'' he said.

Mr. Bill Cook, assistant parks director, said initial plans had to be changed but the majority of residents had voiced their approval.

It was found that pavers designed for cycle parking had cracked under the weight of cars parked there.

"We first tried to just have them parking on the grass but that was eroding the area,'' he said. "The strips are very attractive because there's grass growing in between.'' He said the majority of people in that area liked the changes.

ASPHALT STRIPS -- Area residents yesterday complained about new parking spots at Church Bay Park.