PLANS for an 84-bedroom hotel with restaurant and petrol filling station in Petersfield have been criticised by town councillors, who say the development will look like a prison.

Dr Brian Keefe said he supported the principle of an hotel for the town but the proposed building on land south of Buckmore Farm would look like a "stark Northern American barracks block".

He was supported by Vaughan Clarke, who said the design reminded him of a prison.

East Hampshire District Council senior planning officer Julia Mansi said planners were against the size and design of the development, which could now face refusal.

At a meeting of the town council's planning committee on Tuesday night, councillors were given the opportunity to quiz Mrs Mansi about the proposed development near the McDonald's restaurant which is under construction.

There were fears that the plans would be dealt with by planning officers under delegated powers and not discussed by the district council's south planning sub-committee.

George Watkinson asked Mrs Mansi before her presentation: "Are we wasting your time?"

Mrs Mansi told councillors that the district council had yet to make up its mind and a decision would be made when comments were received from the town council.

She told members of the committee that an application for an hotel had been submitted in 1987. But this was for a 40-bedroom development.

Mrs Mansi said: "There has been a long-standing approval on the site for a motor services area.

"The previous plan related to a 40-bedroom hotel with a petrol filling station at the back. We are now looking at a much larger hotel and a petrol station with an enclosed car wash. The new proposal is a very different one."

Town mayor Chris Jenner said he believed the original application was "theoretical" and was submitted as a means of determining the value of the land.

He also said he felt the development should be situated farther down the hill and away from the Dukes Close development.

Mrs Mansi added: "The application by Southern Services Ltd also includes plans for a restaurant and bar, as well as conference room facilities.

"The design of the building has also changed from a two-storey hotel to three storeys. But the building would be dug into the hillside and would appear as two storeys from some elevations.

"We have held significant pre-application discussions with the applicants and they were told that the size and design of the building is not appropriate.

"I think the design of the building is unsatisfactory and the feedback I am getting is that they won't change it."

Dr Keefe asked if there was anything the applicants could do to make it less severe. He suggested softening the design with landscaping.

John Crowhusrt said he was in favour of the development, which he claimed would be less visible than the Whitman Laboratory buildings.

He said: "I am looking at this as very much an employment opportunity for Petersfield. It will provide more jobs than a factory standing in the same position would.

"It might also bring in continental visitors and I think we should be encouraging this."

Mr Crowhurst said he was keen to see the plans go to the district council's planning committee for discussion.

He said: "Even if the officers recommend refusal I think it should still go to committee so there can be a discussion.

"We got improvements from the Tesco application when we talked about it at the south planning sub-committee.

"It gives the applicants a chance to hear what local voices are saying and we can achieve changes out of it."

Vaughan Clark asked whether the proposed restaurant would be open to the public or simply for the use of customers staying at the hotel. Mrs Mansi said this was still to be determined with the applicants.

Mr Clarke said: "I think the general view is that we are in favour of the hotel in principle but there are some problems with the design and appearance of the building."

John Crowhurst also asked what would happen to the rest of the site south of Buckmore Farm.

Mrs Mansi said that as the local plan developed, planning officers would have a better idea of what the land could be used for.