THE owner of a hostel for the homeless and refugees in Fareham is to appeal against the council's refusal to let her expand her premises.

Daphne Downes, of the Catisfield Hinton Hotel, had applied to convert two of her ground-floor empty shop units into living quarters for an extra six people.

Mrs Downes said: "I did think it might go through as the planning officers had recommended that planning permission be granted.

"I am a little disappointed and I'm appealing immediately against the decision through my planning consultant."

Mrs Downes wanted to build the ground-floor rooms to cater for people in wheelchairs or who have mobility problems.

Fareham's planning councillors refused permission after receiving an 87-signature petition from residents and 37 letters of objection including one from Catisfield Residents' Association.

They complained about problems of noise, anti-social behaviour and washing left on the Catisfield Lane hotel's balconies overlooking their gardens.

Ward Councillor Connie Hockley told the planning committee the hotel was out of keeping with the village and any expansion would only exacerbate the situation.

"Catisfield is a quiet village and I really don't think the hostel is appropriate in its existing location," she said.

"It would be better for the asylum-seekers and homeless people staying there to be in a city where there is more to do."

In a letter to the council Fareham police said there had been more offences associated with the Hinton Hotel since 1997.

They added that the presence of the hotel, which caters for up to 100 men, women and children, had a "measurable impact" on the Catisfield community.

Mrs Downes takes referrals from councils across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Sussex, Surrey and the Home Office.

The charity Refugee Action and the housing departments of Portsmouth City Council and Eastleigh Borough Council are all in favour of the hotel's expansion.