A former hotel that has been converted into flats will be allowed to expand – despite considerable opposition.

The former Peacehaven Hotel, situated at the junction of Audley Road and Graham Road in West Hendon, has been converted into 11 flats – but an outbuilding known as the coach house remains in place despite previous plans to knock it down.

The site’s owner lodged an application with the council to demolish the coach house, extend the flats and provide five off-street parking spaces and 11 cycle spaces.

At a meeting of Hendon Area Planning Committee on Tuesday (April 16), Cllr Gill Sargeant, Labour member for Colindale, raised concerns over the large number of objections received.

She said: “My real concern is that this has been subject to a huge amount of applications already, and the fact that there are 60 neighbours who are concerned about it really needs to be taken very seriously.

“It is usual to get 15 or so objections, but not 60.”

As well as a petition signed by 50 people, the council received eight letters objection to the proposal – some warning that the development would be overbearing and lead to a loss of privacy.

But chair of the committee Cllr Brian Gordon spoke out in favour of the plans.

He said: “It is on a corner – that makes it not so out-of-keeping. It looks pretty shambolic at the moment.

“That coach house might be quaint in the countryside, but on that road it is a bit of an eyesore.

“It has got a lot of objections, but petitions do not have the same strength as letters.

“If you stick a petition under someone’s nose, they will often sign it because they have been asked to do so – but they do not have all the reasons here.

“It can’t possibly affect 50 people.”

The applicant, Yossi Shahar, told the committee the extensions would “improve the living conditions of the flats in this property”.

He added that the floor space would be extended to ensure “full compliance with the London standard in terms of internal flooring”.

Richard Best, who lives in the neighbouring property on Graham Road, complained that previous pledges to demolish the coach house had not been honoured.

He also raised concerns that the windows on the extension would overlook his house and lead to a loss of privacy.

Cllr Gordon pointed out that there was a condition attached to the application stating that “within three months, the outbuilding known as the coach house shall be removed”.

Council officers agreed the windows of the extension would be obscure glazed to address Mr Best’s privacy concerns.

The committee voted by five to one in favour of the application.