PLANS to knock down a six-bedroom house and replace it with flats in Ferndown's ‘millionaires' row’ has been met with anger by residents.

Developer Celebration Developments Ltd has submitted plans to East Dorset District Council to demolish the existing house and build a block of eight apartments with bin and cycle stores at a property in Golf Links Road in Ferndown.

The road, which is nicknamed ‘millionaires' row’ because of the large four, five and six bedroom houses it boasts, has been the subject of a number of similar development schemes in the last few years.

Similar houses on the street are currently on sale for around £800,000.

Neighbours have expressed their anger at the idea of blocks of flats replacing "fine family homes" in the street.

Robert Fielding, who lives in Golf Links Road, said: “We moved to Ferndown from a London suburb with a similar character which was spoiled by developers being allowed to demolish family homes and erect characterless apartments and we fear this is a very real threat to this area if the council allows this to happen.

“The size of the proposed development will obviously cause great distress to its immediate neighbours by the loss of privacy, trees and amenities and additional traffic and on road parking."

The proposed building will have three storeys made up of three flats on both the ground and first floor and an additional two flats on the second floor.

In October 2013 a similar scheme of eight flats in a three-storey building was approved at a nearby property.

But Geoffrey Reakes, who lives in New Road, Ferndown, believes these new builds have "reduced the quality of life for residents".

A design statement produced by the developers said: "The proposed development represents a high quality design which both reflects and enhances the character and appearance of the Golf Links Road area.

"The exhaustive list of design criteria have been fully adhered to and the resulting proposal ensures against creating any potential detrimental impact to privacy or amenity to neighbouring properties."

To view the application go to www.dorsetforyou.com/planning.