Cabinet has decided that Clifton will not be designated a protected site and will no longer be the official Premier's residence, the Premier's spokesman revealed last night.

Press Secretary to the Premier Glenn Jones said last night that Cabinet had also "examined the parking issue" and decided that work should continue to create a parking lot for the adjacent US Consulate.

The "parking issue" arose with the move of the US Consulate to Crown Hill, Middle Road, Devonshire in the early part of this decade, forcing visitors to park at the Arboretum and walk several hundred yards. At one point the road narrows and it there is no sidewalk for a short distance.

This week, former Premier Alex Scott criticised the parking lot, saying "it's an affront to the host nation that the residence of the Premier would be used as a car park lot" and likened it to carving off part of the Executive Mansion property in Washington DC, commonly known as The White House.

Mr. Scott also pointed out that it was a decision of Cabinet to designate Clifton as the Official Residence.

Mr. Scott complained that to disturb the property is unthinkable, saying "it wasn't just for Alex Scott, it wasn't just for Ewart Brown" but intended "until it's deemed to be the desire of Cabinet to change that. And I would hope they don't."

The Planning process for the creation of nine parking bays was pushed through in six days this summer.

The United States Government is paying for the work, while the land will remain the property of Bermuda. Clifton is valued at $1.5 million and the subject of major renovations over the past decade to prepare it first for the Chief Justice.

His family lived in the building for the last few months of his tenure in 2006. The building is understood to be more than 200 years old. Dr. Brown has chosen to live in his private home – with modifications like a security fence and shelter for a guard – and Clifton remains unused.

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