NEW plans for a desperately-needed 41-bedroom hotel at the Beefeater Red Lion in the centre of Petersfield are likely to reopen controversy over car parking.

A 38-bedroom hotel plan for the Red Lion three years ago failed because Whitbread could not find enough car parking spaces. Planning officers estimated it was 44 spaces short.

This week Whitbread has submitted an ambitious scheme for a Travel Inn on the site of the old stable block demolished in May, l996.

It includes proposals to redesign the layout of the neighbouring East Hampshire District Council-owned Festival Hall car park, adding ten spaces to the current 214. But Whitbread says it wants control of 28 spaces closest to the Red Lion during the evening.

The hotel, which would provide motel-style accommodation, is proposed on three storeys with a covered way linking to the Red Lion.

On Tuesday night, the chairman of Petersfield Town Council's planning committee, George Watkinson, said he thought the design of the hotel was "massive and monstrous in many respects" and he expressed concern about the use of the Festival Hall car park.

Kate Pitt told the meeting: "We use the Festival Hall a great deal out of working hours and it would be disastrous if people coming to the hall could not park."

John Crowhurst said he felt "very queasy" about allowing the use of the Festival Hall car park until councillors could assess the impact of the new Tescos car park.

"I am very uneasy about selling the family silver to accommodate this Travel Inn," he said.

Chairman of Petersfield First, Trevor Boyden, said he was in favour of the hotel providing there was no loss of car parking to the town.

"If the hotel only wants the 28 spaces after 6 pm I don't think the town will have any problem with the plan.

"However, if it is during the day, I think the council needs to provide extra car parking facilities elsewhere.

"We have lost car parking from the central car park, the Swan Street car park is suffering from commuter parking and now, if we are going to lose more in the Festival Hall, we must have extra parking for those who work and want to shop in this town."

He said he did not believe evening events at the Festival Hall would be affected as visitors could park just across the road in the central car park.

The town council's planning committee deferred its discussions. Members are to ask a district council planning officer to speak to councillors about the hotel plan.

Plans for an 84-bedroom hotel on the edge of Petersfield close to the new McDonald's restaurant were recently withdrawn.