A veteran conservationist has raised concerns about moves to build a replacement hospital in the Botanical Gardens.

David Wingate described the gardens as a ?cultural icon? which he said carried almost universal appeal for both locals and tourists.

He said the announcement would ?shock environmentalists to the core? as it was presented without in-depth plans. He said he wanted to see more details on one of Bermuda?s biggest projects in decades.

Despite it sounding radical, he said that the public might support it once they see the substance of the blueprint. ?They need to look at the pros and cons.?

Mr. Wingate, 70, who worked as a Government conservation officer for nearly 40 years, added: ?But the way it?s been presented, without that kind of detailed plan and without public comment, flies in the face of sustainable development.?

He said that building a new hospital in protected land would contravene the National Parks Act and he said he did not think such a decision could be only made by Cabinet, and would probably need wider public consultation and a Parliamentary vote.

He said he remembered when plans for the current hospital were first tabled, 40 years ago, on the site of a large citrus orchid. ?There was far less public outcry because there was more green space on the Island.?

Mr. Wingate famously helped rediscover the Cahow, a rare seabird thought to have been extinct for 300 years.

He is also a member of the National Trust Council and of the Audubon Society.

Meanwhile, a concerned resident yesterday told that he was ?horrified? with the plans ? and claimed they would ?destroy? the Botanical Gardens.

He said that some people might consider it worth an extra $100 million, how much more Government estimated it would cost to develop the existing site in phases, to save the Paget gardens and prevent increased traffic ruining the tranquillity.

The man, who asked not to be named but who has professional knowledge of planning, said he hoped that alternative proposals would come forward and trigger a re-think.

He also asked why land to the north of the hospital and alongside Point Finger Road had not been considered viable for a building he believes could be five storeys tall or higher.