ONE of Hampshire's best-known hotels is to expand by 26 rooms, increasing its capacity by almost 50 per cent.

Bosses at The Balmer Lawn Hotel, near Brocken-hurst, are to build a three-storey rear extension to the country house-style building.

The New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) approved the hotel's plans despite objections from its own planning officers, residents and the highways authority.

The development will increase the number of bedrooms to 81 and create between 15 and 20 jobs.

Parking for up to 15 more cars will be added to the existing 100 spaces.

Owner Christopher Wilson said: "We are very happy. It's been a long fight but we are delighted to get planning permission, which will make a big difference to the running of the hotel."

Mr Wilson said building work was likely to begin in the next three years.

General manager Mark Albray added: "It will make us the one of the largest hotels in the New Forest. It's very good for business."

Three residents objected to the plans because of possible increased traffic and noise.

Concerns Hampshire County Council, the highways authority, said that there was insufficient parking and it also had road safety concerns, while planners felt extension to be an "over intensification of use".

However, members of the NPA made the hotel an exceptional case because the building was considered to be iconic.

They reckoned that the extension would improve the appearance of the back of the hotel without extending its footprint, and argued that the hotel promoted car-free visits to the New Forest because it is ideally located near to Brockenhurst train station.