PLANS to extend a hotel have met with stiff opposition from nearby residents who say the scheme will create more traffic congestion and take away their privacy.

Whitbread, the owner of The Papermill, London Road, High Wycombe, which has more than 80 bedrooms, wants to build a three-storey extension to the premises to accommodate 31 extra bedrooms.

They are also planning for two staff bedsits and an extension to Brewers Fayre.

But residents have sent a letter to Wycombe District Council voicing fears that the access road to the site cannot cope with the current levels of traffic.

They also claim more privacy would be lost because hotel guests can see into their homes and a further development of the site would devalue their homes.

Wycombe District Council's leisure services department said from a tourism point of view they supported the application and the extra bedrooms combined with 138 rooms approved for the hotel at Little Marlow would go a long way to meeting the requirements in the council's strategic plan.

Nicola Mackinnon, spokesman for Whitbread, said: "We don't see that there is going to be any detriment to the area in terms of value of house prices.

"The development will be a benefit to the town as a whole.

"With regard to congestion we will be giving money to the council's transportation policy."

Councillors from WDC's planning applications panel will visit the site on Wednesday to judge the feasibility of the scheme before a decision is made on April 11.