A hotel in Popeswood could be converted into flats, after a previous proposal was rejected by councillors.

Fines Bayliwick owner Sundeep Nath wants to change the hotel on London Road into 11 two-bed flats. He says he can no longer carry on running the hotel as the rise in home working and video conferencing mean the number of business people who stay there has fallen.

Mr Nath has resubmitted his proposal with new plans for parking, after Bracknell Forest councillors rejected a previous application on the grounds that the layout posed a risk to protected trees.

But residents of a neighbouring private, gated road have objected, arguing that the parking plans could still block up their road with traffic. People from eight addresses on Nevelle Close have written to Bracknell Forest Council planning officers against the plans.

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Complaints include concerns that residents and visitors will have to access the apartments via the entrance to their road. And they fear the apartments’ bins will have to be wheeled out onto the path to be collected by refuse trucks.

Mr and Mrs Fairman of Nevelle Close wrote: “Although the postal address is London Road, access is via Nevelle Close, this is a small private residential road and causes many issues.

“The Nevelle Close residents currently pay for the upkeep of the road not the council. This includes wear and tear, lighting, salt bins and general maintenance.”

They added: “The bins will have to been wheeled down the only path (there isn’t access to the bins from within the property) into Nevelle Close to be emptied.

“This will be disruptive, smelly, noisy and due to the size of the industrial bins will then obstruct the pavements in Nevelle Close and access to the side gate. This also means that the lorries emptying them will block access to Nevelle Close.”

Others say there are already parking problems associated with visitors to the hotel. And they warn that the plans for 25 new parking spaces are insufficient for the increased traffic from new residents and visitors.

Max Clarke said: “This represents a significant increase in traffic into our close and gives limited guest parking given the volume of flats, with risk that additional guests park on the road immediately outside the property, limiting access to the close.”

But planning officers say the number of parking spaces meets the council’s requirements. And plans say bins will be collected from within the grounds of the apartment building, with no change from how they’re collected from the hotel currently.

And seven letters in support of the application from nearby residents have also been sent to council planning officers.

Patrick Bancroft of London Road wrote: “I support this application, as a well designed scheme. I cannot see any valid reason for refusing the application, and this matter has dragged on for ages.”

Councillors are set to decide on the application on Thursday, December 14.