Southampton residents are ready to battle a condominium development which they say will blight property values and be a blot on the landscape.

The Planning Department granted approval in October for Eddie DeMello to build 12, two-bedroom units in three blocks off Riviera Crescent.

Workers are now clearing woodland to pave the way for the new development.

However, resident Barclay Carmichael believes the builders don't have access rights to the lots.

He said: "This will bring down property values and have a traffic impact. It will remove woodland area which is very scenic.

"It is the only scenic wooded spot in the area."

Fifteen parking spaces will also be installed, but Mr. Carmichael said the current road was already narrow and the fire department were worried about access.

The new estate will be reached via a new 12-foot wide driveway.

Mr. Carmichael claims Riviera Crescent is a private road. He told The Royal Gazette: "We had road resurfacing a couple of years ago and Works and Engineering sent out letters asking for payment. We paid around $500-600."

He has formed an action group on the estate and claims to have the support of 90 percent of the residents.

He said he had bought his home from family in the mid-1970s but many of his neighbours had been there even longer.

"We talk about sustainable development but what are we sustaining and what are we developing?

"If this goes ahead we are talking about a very detrimental traffic impact.

"The road can't support that kind of development. We had a medical emergency in the neighbourhood and the truck had a difficult time getting through.

"People had to come out and move their vehicles so it could get through."

However one planning source said that he believed Mr. DeMello owned land on Riviera Crescent which accessed the lot, meaning he had right of way to the land to be developed.

Last night Mr. DeMello was off the Island while agents Warwick Designs would not comment.

Mr. Carmichael said he had contacted local MP Reginald Burrows and the National Trust about the matter while residents were also taking legal advice.

He said Southampton was already over developed with 40 homes set replace wooded hillside nearby below Gibb's Hill lighthouse while another development was planned near the Sonesta hotel.

Mr. Burrows said he would be contacting Environment Minister Dennis Lister about the development today.

He said: "There has been a tremendous amount of building in Southampton in the last 25 years. I think its grown more than any other parish."

He said the Riviera development had "slipped by the residents."

He said: "They didn't know it was there until someone started to work on it. I am not sure this development is needed."

Mr. Burrow said he hadn't seen the plans but feared it would be a luxury development rather than homes for Bermudians.