The Department of Planning has seen a rise in applications proposing residential projects on tourism properties as investors seek faster returns.

Crystal Caesar, the Minister of the Cabinet Office, told the House of Assembly that the trend created a challenge for the department as it sought to balance short and long-term interests.

“Recent global economic events have significantly impacted the property investment market, increasing investor risk aversion and the demand for quicker returns,” she said.

“As a result, there is growing pressure to develop tourism-zoned land for residential use.

“This trend requires the planning profession to adapt to increasingly complex development proposals, balancing economic viability with long-term land use needs.”

Several recent high-profile tourism projects have included a residential component, including the Fairmont Southampton redevelopment, which sparked backlash over plans to erect up to 250 tourism and residential units on the site.

In an update on the work of the department, Ms Caesar highlighted a variety of projects undertaken including a recent partnership with the GO Programme, a European Union funded initiative, to review the building code with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency.

The department has also worked to create a new General Development Order to expedite changes of use, worked to identify derelict properties for potential redevelopment and continued work on the next City of Hamilton Plan.

“Despite these sterling efforts, the department faces challenges, including significant staffing shortages and a high volume of substandard planning and building permit applications,” Ms Caesar said.

“The submission of deficient applications results in technical officers having to review the same proposal multiple times which, in turn, causes delays in the processing of other applications.”

Ms Caesar said that the department had hired consultants to boost its capacity and joined with the Government Bursary Award programme to support young Bermudians entering the field.

“The department has a strong track record of successfully employing Bermudian professionals through this programme, including the current director and several other staff members,” she said.

She added that the planning system’s need to balance competing interest can lead to “stakeholder dissatisfaction”.

“The Department of Planning operates within this complex environment, managing a wide range of challenging functions,” she said.

“Despite these challenges, the department's dedicated staff strive to make reasonable, balanced and informed decisions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning process.”