The owner of a 'deteriorating' hotel annexe on Great Yarmouth's seafront has withdrawn plans to turn the building into flats after complaints from neighbours.

Janak Masrani wanted to extend and convert part of the former Sea Princess hotel, now known as the Regency, on North Drive, to create 12 self-contained flats.

But according to the Great Yarmouth Borough Council's planning pages, he is no longer proceeding with the plans. 

This came after the application prompted 13 objections from neighbours including the owners of the adjacent Esplanade Court apartments and people living there, as well as the nearby Imperial Hotel. 

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In a letter to planners at the borough council, Nicholas Mobbs, at the Imperial Hotel, said the building "has been allowed to deteriorate terribly" and that people have lived there "in squalid conditions".

He said that complaints about the property on Trip Advisor are "legendary".

"On many occasions we have welcomed guests who have been unable to sleep at the Sea Princess due to the unsanitary condition of the place," he added. 

RTM Company, representing seven flat owners and residents of one block of Esplanade Court, said: "The owner of the Sea Princess has allowed that part of the hotel to fall into disrepair over recent years."

The owners of the apartments, Landfast Ltd, also objected.

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In 2017 and 2019, the council refused similar proposals for the site, with the latter bid dismissed on appeal by a government planning inspector in September 2020 amid fears the loss of hotel beds would damage the tourism economy.

In 2020, the main hotel building, which the owner himself had referred to as an "eyesore", was refurbished.

Two years later, Mr Masrani was given permission to turn the annexe into holiday lets.

The hotel was previously called The Hadleigh Gables, before rebranding as The Sea Princess. More recently it had changed its name to The Majestic.