The Botanical Gardens will retain its Point Finger Road access despite the Bermuda Hospital Board's acquisition of two additional properties in the area. Minister of Health Walter Roban said amendments to the Special Planning Provision Act passed last year would enable the Bermuda Hospital Board to build on land adjacent to the currently property, but assured the public Botanical Garden's entrance would remain.

Minister of Environment Glenn Blakeney told the House of Assembly last night that detailed designs and plans for the new wing at the King Edward Memorial Hospital would not be finalised until much later in the development process due to the Public Private Partnership model.

He added there were four reasons why a special planning act was necessary for the hospital: "First, the Bermuda Hospitals Board has been directed to develop strictly within the confines of the existing King Edward VII Memorial Hospital site without infringing on the Botanical Gardens.

"Second, the Government had approved a new way of procuring new facilities: Bermuda's first PPP. With this procurement method, detailed designs and plans for the new acute care facilities will not be finalised until much later in the development process than we normally see in Bermuda.

"Third, this Project is currently on time and on budget. To keep it that way, BHB had to release by the end of 2009, a Request for Proposal or RFP to the three PPP bid teams. Fourth, those three teams needed assurance that in-principle planning permission is in place for the KEMH site."

The amendment to the Act before the House yesterday added 11 and 13 Point Finger Road to the redevelopment plans. The two properties will increase the land on which the new facilities can be built, but will not infringe on the Botanical Gardens. "The addition of these two properties might assist in lowering the overall height of the building," Minister Blakeney added. "This is not a guarantee but adding these two properties gives the developers more options." Opposition MP John Barritt asked if the amendment would cause the Botanical Garden's Point Finger Road entrance to disappear.

Minister Roban assured him, and the public, this would not happen. "The recommendation to purchase these two properties came from the BHB advisers. "With the Botanical Gardens, the commitment was made and it is still in place. This addition could mean a better entrance."