More than 40 objections have been submitted against a five-star hotel and residence club in Paget.

The Bermuda National Trust, Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) and scores of residents have raised concerns about loss of open space, potential traffic congestion and construction noise from the new Four Seasons Hotel resort.

Developers Brickman Holdings of New York have submitted the planning application, with architects OBM International as agents.

The resort will be owned by Coral Beach and Tennis Club, and managed by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Brickman re-submitted the application last week with minor revisions, such as sight lines for the new roadways and definitions of 'fractional', 'whole' and 'hotel' rooms.

OBM International describes fractional ownership as different from a timeshare as it is "an asset with equity".

Sixty fractional ownership 'cottage colony' style villas are envisaged at Horizons and Coral Beach.

On the Horizons side, the units will be sold as quarter-share ownership, with four owners of each villa gaining use for three months of the year.

At Coral Beach, the villas will be sold in 12 fractions, with the 12 owners each allocated one month of the year.

In addition, there will be another 20 residential units for sale, with their sole owners gaining year-round use.

The developers say they will retain the land's existing zonings of open space, woodland reserve, coastal reserve and agricultural land.

However, a scoping report – an early set of guidelines for the environmental impact statement – in the planning file says: "Portions of the overall development intrude on areas currently zoned agricultural, recreational and woodland reserve."

The nine-hole Horizons golf course on recreational land will disappear, as OBM says the current fees are "insufficient" to cover the course maintenance costs.

The resort will also bring major changes to South Road, with new access points and a pedestrian underpass tunnel near the entrance to Coral Beach.

If the plans are approved, South Road will also be reconfigured slightly to straighten a bend in the road. A "reduced angle of approach" is recommended at the top and bottom of the road, at "two well-known traffic accident spots".

The developers also aim to reduce traffic congestion between Horizons and South Road, with an access road linking the property and Tribe Road Five, serviced from Ord Road.

However, this drew 25 letters of objection from residents, who claim traffic congestion along Ord Road, Southcote Road and the tribe roads will increase as a result.

Another nine objectors protested the loss of the Horizons mini-golf course.

Some also objected to the loss of open space. One Paget resident, Audrey Smith, said: "All the open space in Bermuda is being given up to building fractional units for foreigners.

"Nobody seems to care. The quality of life of Bermudians, both now, and for their future grandchildren, is being sorely compromised."

The Bermuda National Trust, in a letter to Planning, added: "The proposal for 33 South Road seeks to scatter development across a large tract of open space designated as an open space reserve, recreation zone, woodland reserve and agricultural reserve.

"It would appear from the plans that almost half of the proposed 60 fractional/whole units would encroach on conservation base zones and conservation areas. Our principal concern is that this manner of development will fragment the conservation lands into sections. Fragmentation is the primary cause for the degradation of biodiversity and natural carrying capacity of an open space.

"The National Trust feels that every effort should be made for this development to be confined to those areas of the property that have been identified suitable for such a development and asks that the applicant revisit the plans to find a better design solution that effectively protects the conservation areas/zones."

BEST also submitted a letter, listing its concerns about tourism development on recreational land, its vicinity to coastal reserve and agricultural reserve, setback requirements for conservation areas, and the potential impact of sewage plant.

Brickman aims to open the 150-room Four Seasons Hotel by May 2012, with the Horizons development to follow in 2013.

In a letter to Planning, OBM International said: "Measures to reduce the impact of noise and debris will be enforced as much as possible for a project of this scale."

An application for a 64-person staff housing complex will also be submitted as part of the 'master plan for final approval', although this could involve renting out some of the existing Wardman family properties on the site.