An application to develop a Sandys hotel site has been approved after amendments to the initial plans were made in March.

The Development Application Board approved the application to increase the number of tourist units and build a conference centre at Willowbank Hotel on 124 and 126 Somerset Road. The original application was rejected because it did not obtain permission from a neighbour whose boundary was within 10 feet of the proposed development.

Changes were made and on April 5, DAB granted permission to the Willowbank Foundation to develop its property.

Willowbank Hotel currently has 67 tourist units, DAB gave approval for five more tourists units to be constructed. The hotel will also be allowed to build a detached conference centre, complete with a hall, meeting rooms and lobby. Willowbank has also been given permission to improve its current tourist units. The application included 28 additional car park spaces. No objections were made to the revised plans.

Willowbank Hotel is a Christian-based, non-profit operation. It was opened in 1960. A unique aspect of Willowbank Hotel is its pastor-in-residence programme, every week a new spiritual leader comes to the Island to lead the weekly bible studies and prayer sessions at the hotel. Hundreds of pastors, seminary and bible college professors, authors and Christian speakers, from all over the world, have come to the Island to lead the spiritual services at the hotel since the programme began in the 1980s.

The foundation believes that by building a conference hall they will be able to attract Christian conferences and larger events to the hotel.