THE £50million cinema complex planned for Pavilion Gardens has been approved despite cinema giant Odeon pulling out of the scheme.

Dubbed the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” by the deputy mayor, the nine-screen cinema scheme received a landslide majority of 10 votes to one at the planning board meeting.

Developer Trevor Osborne has emphasised the environmental credentials of the low carbon scheme which includes new public gardens, a roof top terrace and a 357-space car park.

He told the Echo: “The cinema will be environmentally friendly and low carbon and it will replace two highly inefficient and outdated cinemas on Westover Road.”

Odeon appears to have pulled out of the Pavilion Gardens development planned for the Bath Road North car park and signed a pre-let agreement with the rival West Central scheme, planned for the NCP car park in Exeter Road.

This defection is a big blow to Pavilion Gardens, formerly known as Nautilus and comes at a crucial time when Bournemouth council is attempting to scupper the West Central project so it can build a temporary bus hub on the site.

The West Central and Pavilion Gardens schemes are broadly similar as they are both comprised of a multiplex cinema and selection of restaurants and shops.

Speaking about the Pavilion Gardens scheme, deputy mayor Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts said: “I think the development really fits with the Bournemouth brand. I’ve likened it to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and I think it will boost tourism opportunities and private enterprise.”

In October 2013 the planning board rejected the application saying the design was unacceptable and that the development went against the local plan core strategy.

David Kelsey, Chair of the planning board, said: “The Pavilion Gardens scheme is potentially a very important building. The revised application has taken account of concerns raised by the planning board at the meeting on October 21.”