Government will not build a new hospital in the Botanical Gardens, Health Minister Nelson Bascome has confirmed.

In a statement greeted with jubilation by protestors opposed to the original plan to rebuild King Edward VII Memorial slap bang in the middle of the gardens, Mr. Bascome stated: “We will not be breaking any virgin land to build any new hospital.”

The Minister was speaking in the House of Assembly when he hit back at Opposition criticism of Government’s handling of the hospital saga.

He told MPs on Friday night: “We are going to get it right. That hospital will be built and I will say this, it won’t be built on any virgin land.”

New Premier Ewart Brown had already paved the way for the gardens to be saved when he outlined his vision for Bermuda last month and said the new hospital need not be built on the Botanical Gardens.

Calling for a radical assessment of the Island’s health needs, Dr. Brown claimed it was better to work out what services were needed before picking any site.

And the Throne Speech, confirming this stance, said Government would shift the focus from where the hospital would be sited to working with the medical community to find out Bermuda’s healthcare priorities.

“Only after it is determined what services the hospital should deliver can costs, location or other decisions be made,” it added.

But Mr. Bascome’s comments in the House are the first time anyone from Government has categorically stated that the Botanical Gardens would not be built on.

Valerie Wallace, a member of the Save the Gardens lobby group, last night said she was delighted with the announcement.

“It’s wonderful when people can speak up and be heard,” she said.

Mr. Bascome’s statement marks a major turnaround from the end of August, when former Health Minister Patrice Minors unveiled the controversial $500 million blueprint to build on ten acres of the Botanical Gardens.

That proposal met with a storm of protest, amid reports that former Premier Alex Scott’s Cabinet was split on the idea to bulldoze such a large chunk of Bermuda’s scarce green land.

A ‘Save the Gardens’ lobby group was formed as environmentalists and green groups voiced concerns.

More than 2,000 people signed an on-line petition against the plans. Despite the protests, Government had said the decision could not be reversed until Mr. Scott signalled a possible U-turn in mid-September.

However, Mr. Bascome said on Friday that ‘people power’ had been heard loud and clear in the corridors of power.

“This Government listens to the people first and foremost,” said the Minister.

He added: “The debate and the messages of protest that have gone out have definitely been heard,” he told MPs. “We will not be breaking any virgin land to build any new hospital.

“But it will be built on a system that will serve this community and service it well.”

Speaking after he made his comments to MPs, Mr Bascome confirmed to The Royal Gazette <$>that the hospital would not be built on the Botanical Gardens. But he refused to answer any other questions on the issue.

Earlier, Mr. Bascome responded to UBP criticism about why future healthcare needs had to be reviewed to determine what type of hospital was required — when hundreds of thousands of dollars had already been spent developing a healthcare Estate Master Plan.

Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson has also questioned why Government had spent $1.5 million looking at Bermuda’s health needs, only to now apparently ignore those findings.

Mr. Bascome said the Master Plan did not “build the hospital”. He also told the House it was the “start and formulation” of the idea of what was going to be built, before further consultation was carried out on “what do we really need?”

This will include consultation with “international partners”, he added.

The Minister said he was aware a new health care base was needed because Bermudians expected a high level of medical service.

But he said that many hospitals in America, serving populations comparable to Bermuda, did not offer the range of services found at the ageing King Edward VII Memorial.

Green campaigners last night welcomed the confirmation that the Botanical Gardens had been saved.

And they called for new legislation protecting open spaces from potential future development.

Bermuda National Trust president Bill Holmes said he was gratified that the Botanical Gardens would remain in tact for everyone in Bermuda to use and enjoy.

He said: “The National Trust would look at anything that preserves the integrity of the Botanical Gardens with great favour.”

Government could now focus on building a first-class health facility for the island.

“No one said we didn’t want a new hospital, we just did not want it built on the Botanical Gardens. Our best wishes are with the Government as they take up the challenge to find a new location to build the hospital.”

Valerie Wallace, of Save the Gardens, said she was glad Government had listened to the people of Bermuda.

“It is absolutely wonderful news that the gardens have been saved. It is wonderful when people can speak up and be heard.”

Ms Wallace urged Government to put legislation in place that would protect Bermuda’s public parks for future generations.

“I hope that this unfortunate situation does not happen again. Bermuda’s parks and open spaces need to be protected. What happened at the Botanical Gardens proves that they are not safe.

“We need the parks for our health and physical well being, so I really hope that they improve the legislation to protect our parks so that we don’t have to go through this again,” she added.

Shadow Minister for Health, Mrs. Jackson, said Government should review and update the Bermuda National Parks Act.

“This is one of the best decisions that the new administration under Dr. Ewart Brown has made. I am sure that the masses of Bermudians who campaigned will feel vastly relieved.

“The largest parkland that we have has been saved and I am very pleased because the Government’s Master Plan recommended on-site building of the new hospital.

“The urgent thing now is for Parliament to pass legislation that would protect our parkland and open spaces.”

Jean Howes, who is completely blind, was pleased that the Sensory Garden had been saved.

She told The Royal Gazette: “The Sensory Garden is a very important to members of Bermuda’s blind community.

“I am very glad that they are not going to be destroyed. The gardens have a lot of history and it is lovely down there. It would have been shameful had they destroyed them.”