A PETITION by over 100 Brentford residents is to be lodged with the council opposing plans to convert the former Environmental services building on Glenhurst Road into a budget hotel that has been labelled suspicious' by those attending a stormy public meeting held at the town's Conservative Club on Tuesday evening.

The building was sold at auction to NASHCARE last summer for a rumoured £2.5 million, with the developer lodging a planning application this week to turn it into an 84 bedroom budget hotel' that will be used for people arriving in the country from Heathrow airport.

Residents are convinced that this means the plan is for an asylum seeker's hostel. Though this was described as unlikely' by Cllr Ron Bartholomew, who attended the meeting, he did concede that it could be used as a hostel for the homeless.

Sarah Poland, vice-chair of the Butts Society, who spoke at the meeting, labelled the plan as both suspicious and as the third strike on the elderly of Brentford, commenting that another hostel is currently being planned for St Mary's Convent, which led to plans for an elderly care home there being shelved:

This is about a question of priorities - Hounslow have got it wrong. There is not enough provision for the care of the elderly. People that have paid their rates all their lives should not be sold out of their homes like John Aird house.

This building should have been turned to good use for the elderly, who are already suffering from the closure of John Aird and the loss of the proposed centre at St Mary's.''

Residents also raised fears about a serious lack of parking - only 23 parking spaces will be provided for the development, which will also provide an expected 35 jobs, in addition to those staying there.

The plan also involves a four storey side extension to the east elevation and a 4th storey extension to the roof of the west extension - which residents claim will ruin the building, which they believe should be listed.

David Bemmer, of Glenhurst Road, who chaired the meeting said:

Car-parking is a major problem for the roads around the area, and this will bring a large increase in vehicle movements. The access onto the A4 at a major junction will be extremely dangerous.

The tower on top of the building is unique and should be listed - it will be lost to this extra floor.''