Residents are in uproar over a planned extension to Maida Vale’s Lauderdale Mansions West that will add additional flats to the top of the building.

The site is over the road from Lauderdale Mansions South, where late Star Wars actor Sir Alec Guinness was born, and both are in the conservation area. People from both blocks are concerned the work will result in significant changes and will set a precedent.

One tenant, Jonathan Rubin, said: "The buildings here are of a certain character and the worry is that this is just the tip of the iceberg and if the plan is approved it would open up the whole area to planning changes."

More than 100 people have objected to the proposals, but residents say freehold owner Parkcity has made little to no effort to listen to their concerns.

Maida Vale councillor and Labour's planning spokesperson Geoff Barraclough said: "It's disappointing Parkcity has refused to speak to the residents and leaseholders of Lauderdale West, preferring instead to present their plans for pokey new flats as a fait accompli.

"Absentee freeholders owe their communities better than this."

There is also worry that the addition of nine new flats in the mansions will cause congestion.

Paddington Waterways and Maida Vale Society issued a joint statement against the planned extension: "The proposal results in significant harm to both the host building and wider conservation area."

The Maida Vale Society chair John Zealley expressed concern the changes would fundamentally alter the architectural merit of the buildings.

He said: "We believe it is important that the area shouldn't become overdeveloped, while at the same time acknowledging the need to make appropriate use of brownfield sites and also to allow sympathetic additions to the existing buildings where they allow either new homes to be created or existing homes to meet today's residential expectations."

Westminster has yet to release its report and the date for the application to come to committee.

The Wood&Vale approached Parkcity for comment but it had not responded at time of publication.