A lapdance bar owner has failed again in his bid to turn a disused Oxford shop into a hotel.

Residents are delighted that Bar Baby owner Martin Forde's plans for a 19-room hotel, with bar and terrace, opposite his Cowley Road bar were turned down again.

Last month, east Oxford city councillors rejected the plans over concerns the hotel -- which would be named Baby Love -- would add to Cowley Road's image as a 'red light district'. Mr Forde said it would not be a "sex hotel".

Following this initial refusal, other councillors called the application in for consideration by the strategic development control committee. But its members stood by the refusal, with nine of 10 voting against the plans.

They said they were concerned about hotel guests using the roof terrace "to get drunk until the early hours" and disturbance to residents living nearby.

Sarah Franklin, who lives in Crown Street with her husband and two young children, said: "The plans are not for a little bar.

"We are already overrun by bars here and wake up on Sunday mornings to find vomit everywhere."

Peter McIntyre, of Crown Street, who organised a petition against the hotel, said he had been worried about people throwing bottles over the side of the roof terrace.

Planning officers had advised councillors to approve the plans, saying Cowley Road already had many pubs and the hotel and bar, which would have replaced the former Dreams bed shop, would not have a detrimental effect. But committee member Colin Cook said: "I'm concerned we'd be losing a retail space and to say it's okay because there are already lots of pubs is a bit like saying if your house is burning down it's okay to pour on some petrol."

Mr Forde said a wall would be put around the roof terrace.

He said "Everyone keeps referring to me as being involved in adult entertainment and one east Oxford councillor said 'we don't want a sex hotel'. I totally disagree with that.

"Cowley Road has nothing in the way of good accommodation and I cannot see why we should not have a proper, nice, hip hotel."