Party Leader Mr. Gilbert Darrell said yesterday.

And instead of building such a port on Devonshire's North Shore, Government should create a waterside park stretching from the Tynes Bay Incinerator to Ducking Stool Park (across from Blackwatch Pass), Mr. Darrell said in a news release.

Works & Engineering Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons has said the recently-demolished "By the Sea'' property on Bermuda's north shore could be the future site of a container ship port.

But the fact a building was recently demolished on the site near the Tynes Bay Incinerator does not mean any development is imminent, said Mr. Gibbons. A north shore port would be expensive to develop and while "it is a possibility in the next five years...something like that would likely take ten years to develop.'' Talk of the possible development has caused alarm among some North Shore residents. A protest organised by Mr. Anthony Young is planned in front of the Cabinet Building at 5.15 p.m. today.

Mr. Young said a port on the North Shore would increase noise and congestion and decrease property values.

Mr. Darrell said a container port in Tynes Bay "is not a new idea.'' "The shippping industry rejected the idea because the exposure to the high winds during the winter months would make it unsafe to handle containers,'' said Mr.

Darrell, chairman of Bermuda Container Line.

The three container ships serving Bermuda were on tight schedules that could be disrupted by rain, Mr. Darrell said. Because there was no night pilotage a ship that was delayed from unloading until dark could not sail until light the next day. On the North Shore, winter winds would add to delays, he said.

"Hamilton is the best site for cargo handling and it has not become inadequate in spite of the many studies over the last ten years,'' he said.

Instead, a park along Devonshire's north shore from Ducking Stool Park to the incinerator "would be a welcomed facility for one of Bermuda's denser areas,'' Mr. Darrell said.

"This park would not only provide much needed open space, but boating and water sports would be provided with comfortable spectator sites.'' Mr. Darrell said the ash blocks from the incinerator would be "ideal'' for building a retaining wall.

"If safe for Castle Harbour it should be safe in this project, maybe safer as some of the retaining wall would not be in the water.''