A BOWDON B&B which has been at the centre of an 18-month long neighbourhood dispute has been given permission to continue operating.

Melinda Beckett-Hughes has been running a B&B, Ayuda House, at her five-bedroom home on Dean Drive since the summer of 2014.

Ayuda House was featured in Channel 4’s ‘Four in a Bed’, a reality television game show where B&B owners rate each other’s properties.

An application for retrospective change of use to mixed use family home/B&B went before Trafford Council’s planning committee last night.

A total of 75 letters were submitted to the council in relation to the application – 56 objections from neighbours and 19 letters of support.

More than 70 people filed into Trafford Town Hall to hear the committee’s consideration.

Neighbour Stefanie Connoly spoke against the application.

She said neighbours have lost guests knocking on their doors ‘at all hours’, their security and safety is compromised by the influx of strangers in the cul-de-sac, and their privacy is being breached, with strangers taking souvenir photos of their homes.

Taxis arriving in the early hours of the morning and the offer of ‘airport parking’ are also cited as reasons for opposition.

Ward members Cllr Michael Hyman and Leader of the Council Cllr Sean Anstee also spoke against the application.

Cllr Hyman said: "This is not usual use of a spare room for a bit of extra money, it is a calculated, highly commercial enterprise."

Owner Melinda said that the opposition was ‘unjustifiable and out of proportion’. She said her guests are mostly mature couples looking for peace and quiet or guests at nearby weddings, funerals and bar mitzvahs. She refuted the claim that she offered airport parking and said she had a strict policy that all guests must park on her drive.

Ward member Cllr Karen Barclay spoke in support of the application. She said she would not support an application if she didn't ‘firmly believe there is no impact on character and residential amenity’.

When the debate opened, opinion was mixed.

"It's an inappropriate place for a B&B," said Cllr Laurence Walsh. "This is a family estate."

Cllr Daniel Bunting pointed out that it was a large family home and that it could occupied by a large family with teens, who may own cars, or let out to young house-sharing professionals. This, he said, would impact on the area in much the same way.

"I think it is a perfectly reasonable location," said Cllr Bunting. "In terms of impact, I can't see this is as significant."

Cllr Hopps said that, whilst he had sympathy for neighbours, he was happy with the conditions set out by the planning officer - to restrict occupancy to three rooms.

"I'm here to look at the planning application, not to solve a neighbourhood dispute," he added.

The recommendation to approve was passed, with nine members voting in favour and two against.