A HOTEL in the region has been given the go-ahead to more than double in size.

County Durham's Seaham Hall and Serenity Spa is the only hotel in the North-East to boast a red five-star rating and to have won a Michelin Star for its cuisine.

And last night, a meeting of Easington District Council's development control panel granted approval for it to increase its 19 suites by a further 29.

Bought by Tom and Jocelyn Maxfield in 1997, the couple spent millions transforming the building from a nursing home into a hotel which opened its doors in 2001.

A grade II-listed building, the historic hall was once the home of poet Lord Byron and his bride Anne Isabella Milbanke.

Standing on a craggy cliff on the east Durham coastline, the hotel and Serenity Spa has swiftly become recognised internationally for its top-class facilities.

Such has been the success of Seaham Hall that its owners are now preparing to invest in more than doubling its size.

The two-part application approved by Easington last night first sought permission to construct an extension to provide 29 new suites, a meeting room, along with the installation of a waterfall and additional disabled parking bays.

The extension will be built on the site of Byron's Court, which has been used for staff accommodation.

The second application was for consent for alterations to the hall where it is extending, that will be a contemporary design, and which will be joined to the main hall and is located close to St Mary's Church - a grade I-listed building and its former vicarage, Greystones which is grade II-listed.

But in a report recommending the application, officers said: "It is not considered that the extension would have a harmful impact on these buildings.

"It would not threaten the main hall in either scale or design but would add to the interest of the site.''

One nearby resident objected to the application but officers added: "The extension would not create any significant increased disturbance than the building it is proposed to replace.''