Plans to build a 26-bedroom hotel in Bassett have been refused by Southampton City Council due to parking concerns.

The hotel would have just nine parking spaces for the 26 rooms.

It was expected to be turned down after planning officers recommended it for refusal.

The complex, on the roundabout between Hill Lane and Winchester Road, is referred to as an ‘apart hotel’ which is a hybrid of apartments and a hotel, where guests would have cooking facilities and be able to have ‘extended stays’.

The original proposal was for a 34-bedroom hotel – but that was thrown out by the city council back in November last year for the same reason.

Since then, the applicant, Sabre Commercial Investments Ltd, had revised its plans and decreased the size of the building, in the hope that it would settle lack of parking fears.

However, residents, officers and councillors alike have said that parking concerns remain.

Ward councillor Richard Blackman said: “My concerns are similar to those outlined in objection to the first proposal.

“I am particularly concerned about the limited parking facilities. Provision remains inadequate with heavy pressure on neighbouring streets and the Sports Centre car park.

“Placing additional demand for parking on these roads would cause considerable inconvenience to residents, as well as spread the problem to roads further afield, which also already have significant competition for parking places.”

David Jobbins, the director of Luken Beck Planning, agent for the developer, attempted to fight the officers’ recommendation for refusal.

Mr Jobbins said that after doing a survey, they found: “There is significant spare capacity within 200 metres of the site and that excludes the sports centre car park.”

He said a survey found there was a need for this sort of accommodation to aid the hospital and the university nearby.

However, this wasn’t enough to build confidence in the planning panel – and councillors heeded officers' advice and refused the proposal.