The Minister of Works and Engineering has defended the "reinstatement" of a road in St. George's.

During a five-hour debate on the Works and Engineering budget, Derrick Burgess argued that the road was necessary to free "landlocked" seniors from their homes.

Nearly three weeks ago, residents in the area by Fort George Hill, and the hillside to the south of St. George's Golf Course, woke-up to find bulldozers in their yards and construction starting on a road.

Mr. Burgess, who met with the residents on the day construction started, said yesterday he took immediate action after he received concerns about an elderly couple.

He said: "We may have constructed a road on the golf course. There were some constituents who were literally landlocked. From their house they had to walk down 73 steps and one of the residents was 93-years-old.

"He walks with a cane and his wife walks with two canes. Can you imagine someone going down steps with two canes?

"The fact is that they tell me there was also a road there, but it was blocked and so consequently they could not drive to their house.

"When it comes to seniors I would help them right away and get what I need to get afterwards. So we just reinstituted the road."

At the time, Kim Swan raised concerns that the Minister had said he did not need planning permission for the road because it was being built on Government property.

And the Opposition leader highlighted Part IV, section 14, of the Development and Planning Act 1974 which states in part: "Planning permission is required for any development of land that is carried out on or after 3 August 1965."

Shadow Minister of Works and Engineering, Pat Gordon-Pamplin said she understood the need for a road, but said there was protocol and more planning needed to be done.

She said: "The benefit was immeasurable. Certainly we cannot have 93-year-old and 80-year-olds (his wife) climbing up and down.

"That was an unacceptable situation and putting the road in was the right thing to do, but we must ensure we do the things the right way.

"When the neighbours are on the borders of this new road and they have bulldozers on their property, you cannot say the ends justify the means.

"Too often what we do in this Ministry is act first and think second. While I am satisfied with the end result that means seniors are able to drive back and forth to their homes I am concerned the neighbours did not feel part of the process."