PLANS to replace a Bournemouth town centre church with a total of 107 flats have been given the green light.

The Punshon Memorial Church in Exeter Road is due to be replaced with 45 holiday lets and 62 open market units, after Bournemouth’s planning board approved a new planning application.

The scheme had been heavily criticised by the Bournemouth Civic Society, which declared it was “too massive, too high and above all too aesthetically weird”.

They claimed the proposed building was a “most unimaginative construction,” which appeared to be “a machine for obtaining maximum rental income”.

But Bournemouth Tourism supported the scheme and planning board members voted by eight to two to approve the application.

The site already had permission for a total of 90 flats and councillors agreed the increase to 107 and the loss of the church tower and spire was acceptable.

Cllr Dave Kelsey, chairman of the planning board, said: “There was quite a bit of debate about it, mainly over the lack of parking but because it already had permission we couldn’t look at the parking side of it.

“I think the building will look okay in that area and it will include 45 holiday flats which they volunteered to put in.”

And planning board member Cllr Phil Stanley-Watts said: “It’s a landmark site that needs to be built on because it’s been empty for a long time. I’ll be sorry to see the church go as it’s been a landmark for many years, but I don’t want to see this site remain derelict.”