Harbour Road residents are objecting to plans by developer Kevin Petty to expand the Newstead Hotel.

The residents have written to the Department of Planning with concerns about their views being blocked, extra traffic, and plans for dealing with sewage at the expanded property.

Mr. Petty owns the nearby Belmont Hills resort and has still to complete the purchase of Newstead - but the sale is understood to be imminent.

Mr. Petty plans to demolish the hotel except for the original two storey porch and increase the number of hotel rooms from 41 to 104. Seventy eight will be in the new hotel and 26 will be in existing cottages.

Honourary French Consul Edgar Humann, who lives across the road from Newstead, said residents were taken by surprise because the planning application was submitted in the name of Belmont rather than Newstead.

He said four of them had written to Planning to protest about the development.

He told The Royal Gazette yesterday: “It was put in the name of the Belmont and a lot of people were concerned about it and didn't find out about it until yesterday and the deadline to protest is tomorrow. “There is an increase in the size of the hotel enormously. There are caves under the hotel and we know from the planning files they didn't do a geological survey.

“They say there will be sewage facilities but they don't say where this will be and the smell could be bad. We've been in touch with the Department of Environment and they said they will look into it.

“The buildings will block my view, but our main concern is about the sewage.”

Fellow resident Peter Dunne said: “In the planning guidelines there is nothing that says the neighbours' concerns need to be taken into consideration.

“It is a nicely designed property which will impact on some people's views, but there are no planning regulations that protect anyone's views. My real concern is access for traffic across the road.”

Mr. Petty said yesterday he could not comment. It is understood he has been given permission by Newstead to use the Belmont name in the planning application.