The Opposition has strongly criticised a decision by Walter Roban, the Minister of Home Affairs, to overrule planning objections and allow the government MP Zane DeSilva to build on land near Devonshire Marsh.

Scott Pearman, the One Bermuda Alliance shadow home affairs minister, insisted that the controversy had echoes of a similar situation in 2011 when Mr Roban resigned from the Cabinet of the then Progressive Labour Party Premier, Paula Cox.

Island Construction, which is owned by Mr DeSilva, was given the green light by the Development Applications Board last August to erect three two-storey maintenance and storage buildings near the company’s Middle Road headquarters in Devonshire. Five staff apartments were also included in the plan.

An appeal against the proposal was launched by a coalition of environmental groups made up of the Bermuda National Trust, the Bermuda Audubon Society and the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce.

They argued that the proposal failed to give proper attention to the area’s zoning as Open Space Reserve. The location is near Devonshire Marsh and is surrounded on three sides by nature reserve and open space.

The protesters were backed by an independent inspector who said that, because of the “sensitive nature” of the site, planning approval should not be granted at least until an impact study had been conducted.

Mr Pearman queried why David Burt did not think Mr Roban should now resign as he did more than 11 years ago when Ms Cox was premier.

At that time Mr Roban quit after 16 days as public works minister, saying that he deeply regretted bringing accusations of corruption upon the Government.

Mr Roban had come under intense criticism for granting planning permission to Mr DeSilva on his final day as environment minister, against the advice of his technical officers.

Mr Pearman said: “This is déjà vu all over again for the scandal-ridden PLP.

“In November 2011, minister Walter Roban was forced to resign from Paula Cox’s Cabinet.

“The minister quit amid allegations of corruption and subverting the planning process.

“This planning scandal engulfed the minister, who decided to overrule a technical officer’s decision blocking PLP MP Zane DeSilva from building on environmentally protected land at Devonshire Marsh.

“Minister Roban intervened to allow his PLP colleague to build warehouses on the marshland.

“When accused of ‘acting corruptly’ and ‘unethical behaviour’, minister Roban swiftly resigned, admitting that his actions had ’ … brought about questions of the Government's integrity and accusations of corruption’.”

“The PLP’s 2011 decision to allow PLP MP Zane DeSilva to build on Devonshire Marsh was swiftly reversed by new minister Marc Bean — the same Marc Bean who later quit the PLP, levelling his own accusations of unethical behaviour in his party’s ranks.

“Yet here we are again. Over 11 years later, minister Roban is back in the very same hot seat. ”

Mr Pearman said that despite “a strong no” from an independent planning inspector, Mr Roban had again decided to grant Mr DeSilva permission to build on the land at Devonshire Marsh.

He added: “When this happened a decade ago, Premier Paula Cox determined that Walter Roban must resign.

“Why does Premier David Burt take a different view of these very same actions now?”

In his written decision regarding the new application, Mr Roban acknowledged that an independent inspector had recommended that the plan be turned down — but highlighted the longstanding history of industrial use for the property.

Mr Roban also noted that the application had not received any objections from the Pollution Control Section or the terrestrial conservation officer from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and recommendations from the Department had been incorporated.

The minister’s decision was described as “shocking” by the Bermuda National Trust.

A request for comment has been sent to Government’s Department of Communication and Information.