Butterfield's Bank can add to Bermudiana Road branch

The Bank of N.T. Butterfield was granted final planning permission to extend its Bermudiana Road branch.

The Development Applications Board approved the Bank's plan on April 27, which was to add to its existing five-storey building to create additional office space.

"Additional office space at the Rosebank location is required in order to carry out the growing banking functions at the Rosebank building," architect Duncan Robson wrote on February 22.

While there will be no change to the gross floor area on the ground or second floors, the third and fourth floors will both be extended by 3,769 square feet and the fifth floor will be extended by 8,238 square feet.

The building is just outside the border of the city limits, however, Mr. Robson said the building serves as a major part of the "Bermudiana Road commercial core and would certainly be considered as part of the urban fabric of Bermuda".

The branch, located at No. 11, Bermudiana Road currently has a drive-through bank-facility and car park.

The Bank will put the three-storey addition on the existing northern end of the building which is currently two-storeys in height. A fifth storey addition is proposed at the southern and northern end of the building.

The Planning Department's Technical Officers were satisfied that the proposal would not negatively impact the residential amenity of the neighbourhood.

However, its plan did not include any additional car parking.

But a Technical Officer said the area is "currently highly congested by traffic" and "therefore additional parking would only exacerbate the problem". There were no objections to the plan.

Hospital to build ambulance shelters

King Edward VII Memorial Hospital was granted final planning approval to build four ambulance shelters.

The application, submitted by the Bermuda Hospitals Board on March 3, 2005, was approved by the Development Applications Board on April 27.

Its plan also asked permission to excavate an existing 25 foot high rock cut and add a four foot high chain-link safety barrier.

"The ambulances are getting shelters for the existing four bays they already have," Bermuda Hospitals Board's communications manager Ana-Maria Critchley, said yesterday.