Plans to add bi-folding windows at the front of a busy bar in Marlow town centre have been branded “unneighbourly” by residents and councillors who fear noise will be “intolerable”.

Cocktail bar and restaurant, The Botanist, at 48 West Street, has applied to Wycombe District Council to “enhance” the appearance of the Grade II listed building by scrapping the current Georgian shop windows and replacing them with folding ones as well as adding a new awning outside.

However, the plans have been met with criticism from some nearby residents, who claim the new windows would add to noise pollution in the area.

Edward Whelpton, who lives in West Street, said a lot of noise already comes from inside the bar when the doors are open.

He said: “Their music is clearly audible inside our house on the opposite side of the road. This is a busy and noisy bar with a music licence… the noise will be intolerable if this proposal is allowed.

“Marlow needs to decide if the town centre is to remain a mixed commercial and residential space, if so some protection is needed from the noise nuisance that this will cause.”

Rachel Helliwell, a resident on Oxford Road, said the addition would not fit in with the surrounding area.

She said: “The noise coming from the property, especially when live music is playing and people getting louder as they drink and being more disrespectful to the people, like me, who live in the area.

“There are many people who live above shops all along West Street or in houses on the corner of Oxford Road who will be directly affected by more noise coming from the property.

“As it stands at the moment customers regularly spill out on to the path blocking it to others while they smoke.”

Marlow town councillors agreed that the plans would be “unneighbourly” if they were given the green light.

Deputy mayor, Jocelyn Towns, said: “We don’t want people spilling out onto West Street. The Botanist is further down West Street near residents and it is unacceptable.”

However, in a planning and heritage statement, Emery Planning, on behalf of the New World Trading Company, said that the changes are “considered necessary to help further improve this new and successful unit.”

The statement said: “The current, window opening is a recent addition to the building therefore no historical design elements will be disturbed as part of the proposal. Consequently, the proposal is considered to have a minimal impact on the listed building and the wider conservation area.

“The scheme has been designed carefully, taking on board all policy considerations and will provide a high quality appearance to the unit, and positively add to the vitality of Marlow Town Centre and the conservation area as whole.”