SurfSide Beach Club is expanding its resort to cater for the Island's booming tourism numbers.

The cliffside resort plans to add ten more suites and enlarge five existing cottages.

It has received planning permission to demolish three suites and replace them with two three-storey buildings containing 13 accommodations.

The 36,866 square foot redevelopment is on land zoned as 'Tourism Development' and has been designed by architects Linberg and Simmons.

Two neighbours objected to the "two massive three-storey buildings", saying "the natural environment of this area does not allow for such a high-scale construction project".

In a letter, Pierre and Lori Samson said their view would be "significantly altered".

They were also concerned about the noise level and disturbance during construction. However there has been no objection from Environmental Protection.

The application however, has been altered in order to gain planning consent from neighbouring residents in terms of the excavation of the hillside. The Department of Planning stipulates that excavation of the rock face must not exceed a height of four feet within ten feet of the lot line.

In granting planning permission, the Development Applications Board said: "The three-storey buildings on the west of the site represent a considerable increase in the scale, height and massing of the buildings at this location and will be visible from South Road.

"Notwithstanding this, the application is considered to be in keeping with tourism development throughout the Island. The three-storey buildings also sit on separate land parcel to the east of the site. The application is considered to be reasonable."

No one was available to comment at SurfSide Beach Club yesterday. The resort must now obtain a building permit ahead of construction.