A proposal to convert a former office site in St David’s into a seniors residential facility has been given the green light on appeal.

Plans to convert Channel House into a care facility were turned down by the Development Applications Board in a split decision because of a policy in the Bermuda Plan 2018 requiring ground-floor commercial activity in mixed-use zones.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Information, announced that he had granted the approval on appeal, stating: “The approval of the Channel House facility is a positive and necessary step for seniors’ care in Bermuda.

“I want to thank the team at the Department of Planning for moving this application through the system as quickly as possible, even within the limits of the current policy framework.”

Mr Rabain said policies, though important, must not impede good projects.

“Sometimes, even well-intentioned rules can slow down progress,” he said. “That’s why I’m working closely with the Department of Planning to update and streamline the process, so future applications like this don’t face the same delays.

“In May, I will outline reforms to make our planning system faster, fairer and more supportive of responsible development.

“That includes ensuring that if a project has community value and professional backing, it can be approved, without needing to be rejected first.”

The planning application proposed converting Channel House, on Longfield Road in Southside, into a residential facility for seniors that would be capable of housing up to 57 people.

While planning officers agreed there was a need for residential care facilities, a report found that the proposal went against a policy of the Bermuda Plan 2018, which required commercial uses for the ground floor unless there was no reasonable option.

In the wake of the refusal, Linda Smith, the Shadow Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, urged the Government to allow the project on appeal, citing the need for such facilities.

Mr Rabain responded that he would prioritise his review of the submission to make a “swift determination”, adding: “I have every intention of seeing this project move forward without unnecessary delay.”

In a statement announcing the appeal decision, Mr Rabain pointed to other recent decisions, including one for the proposed Sankofa Hotel on Victoria Street, as part of a broader pattern of projects being refused planning permission for technical reasons.

“These are not isolated cases,” he said. “They show why change is needed, and that change is coming.

“David Burt, the Premier, has tasked me with improving the planning system, and that’s what I intend to do. We are here to support good builders, not hold them back.

“The Department of Planning plays a key role, and we will continue working together to make sure the system is more responsive and works better for Bermuda.”

Channel House was built by the US Navy in 1942 as a military security building and renovated in 1990 and 1999. It later housed the Government’s Information and Digital Technologies Department.

In November 2023, the Government announced that it would work with developers to turn the building into a residential care facility.