at a public inquiry.

The hearing into the draft Bermuda Development Plan 1992 should be held within the next few weeks.

Environment Minister the Hon. Mrs. Ann Cartwright DeCouto has appointed four people to a tribunal.

Last week businessman Mr. Elroy E. Ratteray was the fourth member to be appointed. Mr. Ratteray runs a laundry business in Pembroke.

Already appointed are tribunal chairman and former Bank of Bermuda executive Mr. Jack Lightbourn, and lawyer Mr. Peter Smith.

Mrs. Zoleta Oliver, who sat on a local planning tribunal relating to the US Naval Annex, has also been selected.

Yesterday Permanent Secretary to the Environment Dr. James Burnett-Herkes said the tribunal members could alternate.

"If one member is sick another could stand in,'' he explained.

Dr. Burnett-Herkes said the tribunal members were going through a "familiarisation'' process to prepare them for the hearing.

This involved recapping the background to the plan, becoming familiar with the objections, and learning about the rules of the tribunal.

"A schedule for the tribunal will also be worked out,'' said Dr.

Burnett-Herkes.

Details of the public inquiry will be published shortly, but it should be held in April, added Dr. Burnett-Herkes.

The Bermuda Plan is aimed at conserving open space, while providing sufficient development potential to meet the community's needs.

It splits Bermuda into development and non-development zones.

Government has 18 months from the time the plan was published -- last July -- to deal with protests.

Well over 1,000 objections have been lodged against the proposal.

This far exceeds the 541 complaints about the last development plan 10 years ago.

But Dr. Burnett-Herkes said many objections this time had already been resolved.

And he expected under 500 objections to be heard by the tribunal.

He added the complaints about the plan were extremely varied, and related to the whole of Bermuda. "They cover one end of the Island to the other,'' he said.