Government had to suspend plans to push through a land reclamation bid for a mega cruise ship dock after a storm of protest in the House of Assembly on Friday.

The plan was to grant the West End Development Corporation a freehold to a seabed of 8.2 acres in Dockyard but Opposition MP John Barritt said the Land Reclamation Act did not allow a freehold grant but allowed the granting of a licence to occupy the land.

He told the House: "We are being asked to approve the granting of a freehold. It doesn't make sense. It looks as though what we are doing is incorrect."

Shadow Environment Minister Cole Simons was disturbed by the scale of the project equivalent to two-and-a-half times the size of the national stadium.

"It's monumental, it's almost an environmental catastrophe."

The plan again showed Government's disregard for the environment, said Mr. Simons, who voiced his frustration that Government had over-ruled the Development Applications Board to allow a beach bar at Warwick Long Bay.

He added: "The DAB should pack their bags and go home because it appears when it comes to Government the DAB initiatives are not worth the paper they are written on.

"It is like selling your mother off for economic gain, that is how badly I feel about it."

Mr. Simons wondered why such a large reclamation plan was being put forward without any environmental impact statement. "It's like giving them a blank cheque."

And he said the method of reclamation had not been made clear whether it was pure landfill or whether pillons would be used for a raised platform which would have less environmental impact.

And Mr. Simons said there had been confusion when he rang Wedco to inquire why the landfill was so big. The response had been that the dolphins might be moved there.

"At one point they are saying it's just for public transport for mega ships, then they say it might put dolphins there they are all at sea."

Deputy United Bermuda Party Leader Trevor Moniz had begun the Opposition response by saying too many Government projects were done in an irregular fashion with costs doubling or trebling, and done without Planning permission.

After the Opposition had finished, Works and Engineering Minister Derrick Burgess then announced the matter would be adjourned for further consultation.